


Home, Heart, Hero

by Kayemen22



Series: Home, Heart, Hero [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-04-23 02:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 164,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19141315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayemen22/pseuds/Kayemen22
Summary: Katie was always so forgettable. She was that one chubby girl with the funny nickname. She was also secret friends with one of the most popular kids in Starling. Years later after thinking Oliver Queen was dead, she sees him and he sees her. Both are tortured by their pasts, and can't seem to let anyone in. Whether they know it or not, they need each other. In more ways than one.





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**HOME SWEET HOME**

" _The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."_

_\- Maya Angelou_

* * *

There 's nothing like the smell of fresh, uncontaminated air to make you feel at home. That was the single thought Katie had when she stepped off of the plane. That's also why when Katie finally stepped off the plane, and on to the ground she sucked in a sharp breath, a smile gracing her lips.

"Home sweet home." she sighed before walking toward the airport. Once inside she followed the other passengers toward the luggage carrousel and waited for the bright blue and yellow polka dot suit case to hover around to her. After a few minutes her patience was starting to run thin. The crowd around the carrousel began thinning out, until no one was left but her. She looked down to the empty carrousel and began remembering that home really wasn't all that swell. She let out another deep breath before walking to a long line that stemmed from the baggage claim.

"Oh, this is perfect." she muttered as she floated to the back of the line. She begrudgingly took step after step, until she finally reached the window.

"Welcome to Starling City Airport, how can I help you?" the cheery blonde on the other side of the glass asked with a bright smile. With Katie's good mood now gone, the woman on the other side of this glass was just plain annoying.

"I'm here, but my suit case isn't. You see where the problem lies?" Katie said the woman simply nodded before reaching down and picking up a sheet of paper before slipping it to Katie.

"Alright, all you have to do is fill out this form and if we find your luggage we will contact you."

"If you find my luggage?" Katie asked, not missing that big if. "What does that mean?"

"Well when checking your bag, all passengers sign waiver that states that in the event that there luggage is damaged, and or missing, the airline isn't responsible." the woman said that smile never moving from her lips. It made Katie wish there wasn't plexiglass separating them. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" Katie simply glared at the woman before snatching the form and stalking off.

"Home, sweet fucking home." she muttered walking over to sit. After filling out the form, she couldn't get out of that airport fast enough.

Her hand shot up in the air and soon a bright yellow taxi was pulling up in front of her. The driver stepped out of the car, but Katie quickly stopped him.

"Whoa, wait. You can get back inside bud." she said walking over to get into the backseat. The driver took his place back up front before looking over his shoulder to her. "Damn airport lost my suitcase."

"That's too bad" he said. "So where you headed?"

"Starling Rehab Center." she said and the man nodded before turning and pulling off. Katie took another deep breath before letting her head fall to rest on the cool window. She was definitely tired from the never ending plane ride. She thought it would be a while before she arrived at the center, and so she let her eyes close and listened to the muttering of the radio.

"In other news, we've gotten more details on the latest Hood encounter. Starling City's vigilante is believed to be the one behind the remarkable capture of the infamous drug dealer who calls himself the Count. The Count had been making headlines with his manufactured drug Vertigo that has been infecting our city for months. Though the police have denied any connection to the vigilante, witnesses do place him at the scene when police arrived.

"I gotta say I was a little on the fence about this hood guy, but I'm starting to like him more and more." the driver said glancing over his shoulder to Katie who opened her eyes. "What do you think of him?"

"Nothing." she said suddenly before shaking her head. That came out slightly harsher than intended. "I mean I've been away from Starling City for a long time and this is actually the first time I've heard of this hood guy."

"Well you'll re hear more, trust me." the driver replied with a slight chuckle. "With all the criminals in this city, he's sure to pop up again."

"Why do they call him the hood?" Katie asked suddenly. Because with everything she'd just learned, that's what she wants to know.

"People who've seen him, says he wears this green hood to hide his face. It's not very creative, but I think it fits." the driver replies. Katie simply nods before turning to look out the window to the city she swore she would never return to.

Once the driver pulled in front of the large building, Katie felt a lump in her throat. She hated this place. Hated what it signified. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of bills and handed it to the driver before stepping out. For the life of her, she couldn't just walk in. It was as if she had to mentally prepare herself for what was waiting inside for her. She realized there was no amount of time to help her prepare for what was inside and so she took another deep breath and ventured on.

The familiar scent hit her nose the moment she stepped through the doors. These halls always smelled of bleach and old dreams. She hated hospitals, which given her profession was kind of surprising.

"Now I know the world must be endin.'" a voice said from down the hall. Katie found a smile and turned to the short woman who came walking over to her. "Look at you." the woman brought her arms around Katie in a hug and Katie couldn't help but hug back.

"Good to see you too Miss Sugar." Katie said. It was a strange name, yes, but if you met the woman standing in front of her you'd see it fit her perfectly. The tiny, caramel skinned woman whose hair was once only slightly gray, was now pure white, and her skin now showed her true age.

"Alright, step back. Let me look at you." the woman said and Katie shook her head before complying. The woman seemed to study her, letting out a "hmmph" and a sigh ever so often. "You're skin and bones child. Weren't they feeding you over there?"

"I ate fine, don't worry." Katie said as they began walking down the hall.

"So I assume you're here because you know?" Miss Sugar asked and Katie sighed once again feeling that lump in her throat. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Katie said looking over to the woman with a sad smile. "Right now there is nothing to be sorry about. Right now he's still here." they reached the familiar door and Katie looked up and let her fingers trail over the numbers engraved.

"You go in, I'll let the doctor know you're here." the woman said before turning and leaving Katie.

Once again Katie was hesitant to do something as simple as walk through a door. It wasn't the door that made her hesitant. It's what was waiting for her on the other side that made her heart beat slightly faster in her chest. She soon found the courage to reach forward and turn the knob to push the door open. It was as if she'd stepped back in time. He laid in the hospital bed, wires running all over the place, the chest tube still hanging from his mouth. It was just as she left him all those years ago. She stepped inside and even the air seemed the same. Cold and just plain sad. There was still a chair sitting next to the bed where she figures Miss Sugar would sit when she was reading him the business journal. It was one of the things Katie requested before she left. Her father was a business man through and through and he religiously read the business section of the paper everyday and she knew not to disturb him until he was through.

"Hey daddy." she whispered taking the seat beside his bed. She really didn't believe that the comatose could still hear, and yes she knew that there were studies that proved otherwise, but she knew if her father could hear her, could hear the pain in her voice when she spoke, he would just wake up. "I'm sorry it's been a while since I was last here, but uh I got that call. I applied just like you said I should and they called me back. I've spent the last two years traveling around some of the darkest and dangerous parts of the world and it's all because of you." she chuckled to herself. She knew if he really could hear her, he would laugh too. He was a man who loved a good joke. She blamed him for her award winning sense of humor. She reached forward and took his hand, threading her fingers between his. "You're right here." she looked up to his closed eyes wanting nothing more than for him to open them. "You're right here and yet you're not." There was a knock at the door and Katie turned to see another familiar face. One she didn't particularly care for.

"You're a tough person to get a hold of." the man said stepping inside the room. "You better be glad I have a couple of friends in lots of different places."

"That's a surprise." Katie muttered gently sitting down her father's hand back on the bed before standing to her feet. "I really can't imagine someone like you with many friends."

"Did I tell you how much I miss your twisted sense of humor?" he asked before slipping off his white lab coat and tossing it on the chair beside the door.

"Can we get to the point?" Katie asked as she walked around the bed to stand in front of him.

"Fine, it's like I said on the phone, your father's brain is deteriorating. He's showing no signs of progress. I think it's time you started thinking about finally letting him go." Katie looked over her shoulder to her father's still form. He was right there. It's what she kept repeating in her head as she looked at him. "Katie you've been where I am. You know the facts and you know after all this time and no progress is a sign-"

"A sign of what?!" Katie asked her voice portraying her agitation with the man. "That he's gone, that he's laying right there, but that 's it. All that's left is his body."

"Katie, I'm sorry-"

"Please don't Mike." she said with a shake of her head before turning back to her father. "I want a copy of all the tests you've performed."

"Katie-"

"I want a second opinion!" she snapped turning back to him "Forgive me if I don't trust your opinion, but I'm not willing to give up just yet."

"You're doing it, you know?" he said taking a step closer and closing the distance between them. He now stood towering over her, like he always did. "You are a doctor and you know what I'm telling you is true. If you need time to assess the situation then take it, but you will have to accept it."

"Get me a copy of those tests." Katie replied her voice dangerously low before walking back around to sit beside her father. Mike stood there for a moment before letting out a frustrated sigh. He turned to leave, picking up his lab coat before stopping short of the door.

"My number's the same, so if you want to talk-"

"You will be the last person I call." Katie muttered with a roll of her eyes.

"I apologized and-"

"Now is not the time, please just leave." Katie said closing her eyes. She heard footsteps before the sound of the door closing. Once she opened her eyes, she found that her and her father were once again alone, left with the soft beeping of his heart monitor. Soon she dropped her head on the bed beside her father and closed her eyes finally giving into the protests of her exhausted body.

It was the unexpected sound of loud voices that jolted Katie awake. She blinked her eyes couple times trying to come back to reality. She looked down to see her hand on the remote before looking up to the television. Her hand rubbed her tired eyes before she looked down to her watch. It was late and she should really be getting home. She stood to her feet about to flick off the television when the face of someone she didn't expect appeared on the screen.

"Here we have the Queen family walking from the courthouse all smiles after the youngest, Thea Queen was given a light sentence for driving under the influence of Vertigo. Many are upset with the judge's verdict, some saying that money may have been a factor. Whatever the case, I'm sure this family will sleep well tonight."

Katie barely heard the story as she saw him. He had an arm wrapped around his sister, ushering her out to their car. Katie closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them once again. He was right there.

"Oliver?" she whispered when the screen changed to a commercial. Her head suddenly went into an array of different places. Oliver Queen was dead. She attended his funeral. She cried for days after she found out, but now-this just wasn't possible. She grabbed her jacket and quickly rushed to the door. Before she stepped out, she looked over her shoulder to her father for just a moment before leaving.

This is crazy. That's all she could think as she stepped inside of the taxi and gave the driver his address. She was crazy. She had to still be dreaming. Oliver Queen is dead. She just needed to be sure.

Once the taxi pulled in front of the house she hadn't seen in years, she felt her heart once again drumming in her chest. She handed the driver some cash before stepping out. She remembers coming here a few times and every time it made her nervous. She never got the feeling that she belonged here. A small voice crept up in the back of her head telling her to turn and run. She was about to give in to that voice when she heard foot steps behind her.

"Can I help you?" a deep voice asks and Katie whipped around to see someone she didn't recognize. Katie opened her mouth to speak, but the man suddenly grabbed her arm forcefully, "The press knows better then to get this close to the house."

"I'm not press." Katie said struggling to pull herself free from the man, but his hand only tightened around her arm. "Will you-" she did something she probably shouldn't have done. She stepped on his foot causing him to grunt in pain and also release her arm. Unsure what else to do, she ran. She ran as fast as she could and for a second she thought she would really be able to get away, but an arm catching her around the waist proved her wrong. Her hands reached for the arms that was now pulling her back toward the house. "I told you I'm not the press, I'm-"

"You're Twinkie." a familiar voice spoke so close to her ear that she could feel his breath on her skin. "I think?" she stopped squirming in his arms and his grasp around her waist loosened. Katie took a step forward before turning to him. Oliver Queen as she lived and breathed and apparently so did he. That would be a good thing to say out loud, funny, very light, but at the moment she was speechless. Once you get to know her, you'll realize how strange that is. Her eyes went to his before looking him over. It was him. Sure he was bigger, but that seemed to be muscle. she suddenly imagined him on some deserted island lifting make shift weights made of logs or something. She shook away the thought before trying to come back to the moment. His eyes. They were definitely different. Still blue, still breathtakingly blue, but they seemed darker. He was standing right in front of her and yet she couldn't believe it. It wasn't until she shot up a hand to rest on his chest did she really believe it. She felt the thump of his heart beneath her fingers and that's when she really knew he was here.

"Oliver?" a voice said. It was the man from before. The one she thought was chasing her.

"It's alright Digg, she's a friend." Oliver said and Katie let out a snort before dropping her hand to her side. "Twinkie-"

"I hate that nickname." Katie said looking up to meet his eyes. "A friend would know that." Her words were bitter and she didn't want her first words to him to be bitter.

"I'm sorry-"

"You're not dead." she interrupted. She was only saying it more to actually come to grips with the fact. She was still looking him over as if looking for the trick. Maybe the flap of some mask or the slight flicker of a computer. "The last time I was here, you were dead and now I'm back and you're not. That usually or should I say always happens the other ways around."

"Katie-"

"I don't know why-" she whispered as she met his eyes once again and then it hit her. She kept interrupting him. She knew if she let him talk, if she allowed herself to hear his voice, then she'd have to accept that the impossible does happen. She met his eyes and a sudden sadness filled them as she remembered where they were the last time they were in this close a proximity. "I saw you on TV with Thea and-" she shook her head. She felt the need to explain her presence here. "Is Thea alright? What was she thinking taking Vertigo and then driving? Me and Speedy are in desperate need of a heart to heart." he smiled. That was the same. That Oliver Queen smile that just brightened any room. Not this one though. They were outside and it was dark and there was no amount of Oliver Queen smiles that could lighten this mood. "I should go. I'm glad you're not dead anymore, but I should go." she turned to leave, but he caught her arm to stop her and against her better judgment she turned back to him.

"I'm sorry." he spoke and that's why she interrupted him. She didn't want to hear him say the words she'd waited to hear for so long. She was fine hating him and flicking off the television whenever his face appeared. "I really am. I was a jerk and I didn't deserve a friend as good as you." Oliver continued and Katie closed her eyes remembering the conversation that changed everything she had with Oliver Queen.

_She sniffed as she folded her clothes and placed them in the suitcase. She hated to cry. She hated that he could make her cry this hard and not even know it. Soon it wouldn't matter. Soon she'd be on a plane to New York, to her new life. One that didn't include Oliver Queen. There was a knock at her door and she groaned in annoyance._

_"Go away dad, I said I didn't need any help!" she called over her shoulder as she walked inside of her closet. She still heard the door open and figured her father was doing that thing where he did the opposite of what she asked him to do. "Dad, I said-" she stopped because it wasn't her father that was in the room. It was Oliver and he was holding a big bouquet of red roses. "Oliver, what are you doing here...in my room?"_

_"I passed!" he yelled excitedly. "I knew I would, that paper you wrote was brilliant. This is me thanking my favorite Twinkie." she grimaced at the nickname as she always did. It wasn't a name she liked. But as the chubby girl who always seemed to have a twinkie at lunch, it seemed to stick. He held out the roses and Katie took a step back. "What's wrong, don't you like them?"_

_"No, they're beautiful, I just happen to be allergic." she replied and his eyes widen slightly as he looked down to the flowers. "Yep, big old bouquet of death in your hands right now." he quickly walked over to the open window and tossed out the flowers before turning back to her with a satisfied smile. "I'm glad you passed."_

_"Well it was all your doing, Twinkie. I would've never made it out of that shit hole if I didn't have you in my corner." he said with a smile and for the first time she didn't smile back. Why would she? What he'd just said was like a slap to the face. In other words he was saying "if you hadn't practically done all of my homework, let me cheat off of your tests with nothing in return then I'd probably be flunking right now." She simply walked back to her closet. He looked down finally noticing the suitcase. "Where are you going?"_

_"School." she said bringing more clothes from her closet and lying them on her bed. "I got accepted to Columbia, remember?" he didn't remember. She knew he didn't remember. For so long she had illusions about who they were, and it wasn't until today did she realize the truth._

_"Yeah, but it's summer."_

_"I"m going early." she replied not bothering to look up to him. "And I have a lot to pack so if you didn't mind-"_

_"Is everything alright?" he asked dumbly. She stopped what she was doing and looked up to him. He leaned in closer. "Were you crying?" she quickly dried her eyes with the back of her hand before turning away from him. "What happened?"_

_"I ran into Tommy today." Katie said walking back over to her closet. "After school while everyone was signing year books, he sort of bumped into me. And by bumped, I mean purposefully shoved me out of the way as he came through the hall. He said something very interesting though and given that he barely has brain cells, I was shocked." she walked from out of the closet her eyes looking to him. "He gave me his condolences for my mother's death, but told me anyone who commits suicide was probably meant to go." Oliver opened his mouth to speak and she lifted a hand to stop him. "I told you that. You, Oliver Queen, not Tommy."_

_"I'm sorry, we were talking, I didn't know he was going to be a dick about it." Oliver replied with a shrug. "It's no big deal. He didn't mean it." she shook her head before turning away from him. "So that's why you're mad?"_

_"No, I'm mad because I spent practically my entire life thinking you were my friend." Katie said as she folded some more clothes and tossed them into the suit case aggressively. "I'm just the butt of your jokes, huh? I do your homework and I write your essays and all you have to do is flash me a smile and I just do it."_

_"Twinkie-"_

_"Will you stop calling me that!" Katie snapped. "I have a name and it's not Twinkie." she shook her head before folding her suitcase closed and zipping it before lifting it to the floor. She took a deep breath before walking over to stand in front of him. "It's fine Oliver, you don't have to pretend anymore and you don't have to lie to your friends so they don't know you're hanging out with me. This can be it. You're done with high school and now probably headed to the best college money can buy." she walked over to open the door to her bedroom. "I seriously have a lot to do and can't do this anymore, so please just go." he walked to the door and stopped right in front of her. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't. He simply turned and walked out the door._

When she opened her eyes, he was still staring down to her, his eyes much more intense then she remembered.

"I have no illusions about who we are Oliver." Katie said with a small smile. "Not any more."

"You're wrong." he said, his grasp on her arm not lifting. "You were my friend, I just don't think I was much of one to you and for that I'm sorry."

"I don't think I've heard these many sorrys from you, like ever." Katie said with a shake of her head. She let out a deep breath when soon someone came walking over. She looked around Oliver and rolled her eyes. It was the look on her face that told him who it was.

"Wait-" Tommy said waking over, a wide smile on his face. He looked over Katie with wide eyes. "Twinkie, is that you?"

"Oh, Tommy I will kick you in the balls again." Katie said and he walked over and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. And to Oliver's surprise, she hugged back.

"I get the feeling I missed something." Oliver said watching the pair as they pulled a part and turned to him. "I distinctively remember you two hating each other."

"Well the death of a friend has a way of bringing people together." Katie said looking over to Tommy who couldn't stop staring. "Will you stop that!"

"I'm sorry, it's just the last time you were here, you were-" Tommy rose his arms slightly to indicated that she was a bit bigger. "And now you're-" he quirked an eye brow and his thoughts were written all over his face. Katie punched his shoulder and he grabbed it quickly. "Sorry, but you can't disappear for two years and then come back hot and not expect no one to notice."

"No, but I can expect people to be normal and keep those things kept in their head and not come flying out of their mouth." Katie said with a shake of her head. "And with as much room as you have up there, that shouldn't be that hard."

"You know I never thought I would see the day you two would actually be friends." Oliver said looking between the two. "This-this is very strange."

"Well I figured I had to give Twinkie-" Katie slapped his shoulder and he let out a grunt before glaring over to her. "I'm sorry, Katherine a chance after she saved my life."

"Doctor." Oliver said and Katie saw the smile come to his lips. She remembers telling him about how one day she was going to be some big shot doctor one day and now that was partially true. "I knew out of all of us, you'd do something great."

"So you're back, you finished being mosquito food?" Tommy asked and Katie turned a glare to him. "What, I read about Doctors Without Borders and they can send you to some very intense places."

"Yeah, well I was fine." Katie said and Oliver noticed the slight squaring of her shoulders. She looked over to him and narrowed her eyes slightly. "I hate when you do that staring thing. Just talk."

"Sorry, I am one of those people who keep their thoughts in their head and don't let it come flying out of their mouth." Oliver said and Katie smiled slightly with a shake of her head before looking down to her watch.

"It's late and it sounds like I'm interrupting some kind of party."

"Oh, it's a celebratory party for Thea for-"

"Getting off easy?" Katie asked and Oliver shrugged. "She doesn't need a party." she shook her head before holding up her hands to stop herself. "But it's none of my concern." she let out an exaggerated sigh. "I'm going to go home now and try to wrap my head around our zombie guy here." she looked over to Tommy and slapped his arm once again before looking to Oliver and gave him a wave. "Later." and with that she turned and walked away.

"You never mentioned her." Oliver said over to Tommy as they watched the woman's retreating figure. He let out a sigh before running a hand across his face. "And I never asked, I guessed."

"It's fine. It's Twinkie." Tommy replied simply before nudging the man's shoulder. "She's fine and when it comes to you she's probably even better." he turned and headed back to the house. Oliver stayed there on the lawn watching her walk away.

"How's your foot?" Oliver asks as Diggle walks over to him.

"It'll heal." Digg replies moving to stand beside Oliver to watch the woman disappear into the night. "So who's the girl?"

"Old friend." Oliver replies with a small smile.

"She doesn't seem to think so." replies Digg as he looked over to the concentrated eyes of his boss.

"Let's just say I was not the best person in my youth." Oliver says. "And she-" Why hadn't he asked about her? She was his friend, probably the only true friend he ever had and up until this moment he hadn't even given her a second thought. "She was nice to me. Not because I had money or because I was popular, but because-" she shook his head. "Hell I don't know why she was nice to me. I think I'm going to have to ask her someday."

"I just got a call from Felicity, she says she's found something." Digg says and Oliver gives him a nod.

"I'll go say bye to Thea and my mother and then I'll meet you at the car." Oliver replies before going back inside the house.

It was happening again. Katie just standing outside of buildings, hesitating to go in. This one was her own house. This one was stranger than the others though. Her home held way too many memories. Don't get her wrong, they were happy memories. To this day she can hear the faint sound of laughter, or her mother humming. It was the happy memories that made her so sad and hesitant.

"You can do this." she whispered to herself trying to motivate her frozen feet. "You can't be afraid of home." she sighed before her feet were finally moving. The spare key was still in the same place she remembered, under the welcome mat. Her hand froze when she stuck the key in the lock. That hesitation once again hitting her. She dropped her hand from the key and realized how damp they were from sweat. "This is ridiculous." she lifted her head at the sound of a car engine and she turned to see a car pull up in front of her house. There weren't many people who knew she was in town and she doubted that Tommy or Oliver would pay her a visit. Not their Twinkie. The back door opened and she was right, it wasn't Oliver or Tony, but it was one person she didn't expect. "Mr. Meryln?"

"Ms. Robins," the man greeted with a nod before lifting his head to the house. "I can't say I've been here in a while." he smiled as he brought his eyes back to her. "I liked coming here. Your father was the only one of us who actually decided to buy a home and not some monstrosity like the rest of us."

"Mr. Meryln, how did you know I was here?"

"I've sort of been monitoring your father's treatment and I got word of your visit." he said with a shake of his head. "It's a shame really. Your old man had so much life-"

"Hospital policy regulates that all medical information can not be shared with anyone that is not family. So how are you monitoring my father's treatment?" the question was filled with accusations and she was aware. She never really liked Malcolm Meryln. It was something about his attitude, or the way he would treat Tommy. She knew after his wife died, something changed in him, but whatever it was just turned him into a major dick.

"I understand your suspicions, but trust me I've only been concerned about Jacob. He was-he is my best friend and I just wanted to know if anything changes." the man sighed slipping his hands into his pocket which only made Katie more nervous. He made her nervous. Actually he always have. When she was younger, she found that she didn't like the way he stared at her. Every time he looked at her it was like she always caught the slight look of disgust. It's how she caught him looking at her father too. She always figured that he thought he was better than them. He worked hard for his money, where her father was fortunate enough to have been born with it. "And then you left and-"

"And you thought you would bribe a couple people at the hospital to tell you about my father's health?" she asked before turning and grabbing the key once again. Her hesitation was instantly wiped away and she wanted nothing more than to get away from the man in front of her.

"Katie-" his hand touched her shoulder and something inside of her snapped. She quickly whirled around and grabbed his hand, but then she stopped. Sanity was returning to her and she quickly realized what she was doing. His eyes narrowed as he looked into to her eyes and then to their hands. The way she gripped it seemed calculated, like there was a next move, but she stopped herself. She let go of his hand and lifted her head to meet her gaze.

"I know why you're here. I know why you've been checking in on my father and I'm going to tell you the same thing I told you when you tried pushing papers in my face." she took a step closer to the man. She wanted him to see the truth in her eyes. She wanted no misconception or confusion in anything she said. "I'm not signing away any of my father's shares, I'm not sharing any of his business ventures and I'm not making you the executive of his estate."

"You do know that someone like you, someone not business minded will lose it all. That is a fact."

"Well I just spent two years of my life sleeping on wet dirt and fleeing from highly dangerous extremists, so I think I'll be alright if that happens." with that she turned, unlocking the door and stepping inside, making sure to slam the door in his face. She really wishes she could open the door once again, just to slam once more in his face, but that would be total overkill. She took a step inside, and stopped before glancing back to the door. "Yeah, definitely over kill."

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Heart of Gold**

_"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."_

_-H. Jackson Brown, Jr._

* * *

One of the perks of living in a tough environment was that finding a comfortable place to sleep became easier with time. That's the only reason Katie could come up with for why she was able to just fall asleep on the carpeted floor of their living room. It was the loud doorbell that woke her up. It rang and her eyes snapped open, but she didn't move. She actually needed to catch up to her body. It was strange, but for a moment she forgot where she was. It rang again and she suddenly came back to reality. She was home. The doorbell rang a third time and jumped to her feet before rushing to the door.

"Hey, someone not answering after three rings usually means fuck off!" she snapped before swinging open the door to see the familiar face of Oliver Queen standing in front of her.

"Sorry." he said stuffing his hands in the pockets of his pants and clearing his throat. "It's just last night you seemed-" he looked like he was searching for the right words and the look on Katie's face showed her impatience. "Is everything alright?"

"Fan-fucking-tabulous, good day." she said before moving to shut the door, but Oliver quickly drew up a hand stopping her.

"Twinkie-" was all he was able to say before she growled and turned stalking away. He let out a sigh before stepping inside, closing the door behind him. "Sorry, old habits die hard." he followed her toward her kitchen and he instinctively let his eyes wander. It was in this moment did he realize how long it's been since he's been inside these walls. He found her in the kitchen searching for something. It was when she pulled out the pouch of coffee did he find out what. "You want to talk about it?" she looked at him with a look of disbelief. "I know you literally found out that I was alive yesterday, but you look like you need to talk"

"What are you doing here Oliver?" Katie asked as she emptied the bag off coffee into the machine. She didn't want to talk, because she was afraid if she did, she'd probably never stop.

"I've been back for a little over two months and it was yesterday that I realized that I hadn't even heard a mention of your name." he said and she turned around to face him, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms over her chest. He let out a bit of a sigh before running a hand on the back of his neck.

"You only do that when you want to say something, but you're not sure you should." Katie said he looked back up to her. "It's sickening how much I know about you" she turned and went in search for a mug. "Just say it."

"Tommy told me about your dad." Oliver said and she stopped what she was doing. "Katie, I'm-"

"Don't-" she said and it was more of a whisper more than anything. She turned back to him. "Don't give me your condolences or tell me how sorry you are for my situation, because I can't do that now."

"Well I know you too and I know you love your father." he said taking a step closer to her, only for her to back away from him. "I know this has to be killing you." he watched her bite her bottom lip. It was a tactic she used to stop herself from crying. She just shook her head before turning to searching for that coffee mug. "Katie-"

"You were limping when you walked in here." she said and if she could see the look on his face, then she would see just how much he didn't expect her to say that. He thought he was hiding it well. Thea nor his mother had even noticed, but he should've figured Twinkie would. She grabbed a mug and walked over to the coffee maker. "What happened?"

"Twisted ankle" he said nonchalantly and she looked over to him. "It's fine."

"Well if it is a twisted ankle then you shouldn't be walking on it. Go home and take the weight off of it." she said pouring herself a cup.

"I said it's fine." he countered and she let out groan of annoyance before turning to him.

"Oliver do you know what my profession is?"

"I do, but-"

"So when I shell out free medical advice, don't undermined it. Accept it gratefully and comply." she turned back to her mug, with a slight smile before bringing it to her lips. The first sip warmed her belly and she could help humming in pleasure.

"I take it's been a while since you've had coffee?"

"It's been a while since I've had good coffee." she replied taking another sip before turning back to him. "But I guess you could relate." he dropped his head. He seemed put off by the statement and she could tell that his missing five years was one of those touchy subjects he probably didn't want to talk about. "Don't worry, I won't make you pour your heart out." he looked back up to her with a small smile.

"Make me?"

"True, I could never make you do anything." she said before turning to take another sip from the mug. "Oliver seriously, I have so much on my plate right now, I can barely function. I need to drink this coffee, and then another and then I need to call lawyers and bankers and probably a slew of other people" she turned to him and he didn't say anything. "And then I have to call in a bunch of favors to some doctor friends of mine and hope one of them says that I'm not being a monster by keeping my father hooked up to a bunch of monitors." she bit her lip once again and turned away.

"Katie-"

"Oliver, I don't want to feel sorry for myself right now." she said, keeping her voice low and void of any emotion. "I don't have time to feel sorry for myself." Oliver's phone ran and he sighed before taking it out of his pocket.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this."

"Then take it. Actually go home and take it." she said with a shake of her head before heading for the stairs in hopes of finding clothes in her closet that she could actually fit. Once she was gone and out of earshot, Oliver quickly answered the phone before bringing it to his ear.

"What did you find Felicity?"

" _Nothing. I combed through this guys computer and I found nothing at all sordid. Which is strange, him being a bad guy and everything. I expected to at least find a pirated movie or-"_

"Felicity!" Oliver said interrupting her babbling. "I need to know why a hitman has pictures of my friend tapped to his wall." he glanced to the stairs where Katie had disappeared up. "It doesn't make any sense. She hasn't been in Starling city for a full day. Why would someone want her dead?"

_"Have you talked to her about it?"_

"It's kind of hard to fit it into the conversation." Oliver snipped unintentionally. He hadn't been able to sleep since he saw the pictures lined on the wall of a known hitman. All of Katie. Someone had been watching her for a while. "Look just keep looking and if you find anything let me know."

_"Will do"_ Felicity replied before ending the call.

Oliver stood there for a moment. He'd been trying to find a way to talk to her, but the fact that they hadn't seen each other in a very long time was becoming very evident with every sentence they said to each other. He took a deep breath before moving to climb up the stairs. He heard her muttering to herself, and so he followed her voice down the hall to her room. He walked in and it was definitely like deja vu.

"Whoa." he said letting his eyes scan around the room. "Your room looks exactly the same." his eyes went to her opened closet where he assume she was. "This is kind of freaky."

"No, it's extremely freaky." she replied walking out of the closet with a couple of hangers worth of clothes. "What's even freaky is that nothing in my closet fits me." she looked up to him to see his furrowed brow. "What are you doing here?"

"You shouldn't be alone." Oliver said suddenly and it was true for many reasons. One there was possibly someone out there trying to kill her and then there was her sick father. "I just thought that I could-"

"So let me get this straight, you were abducted by aliens and they did some weird mind altering shit, that's why you're being nice?" she asked and though it was kind of insulting, his lips quirked up a bit.

"No, I was on an island. One where I was alone and scared, so I think-"

"That you can relate to what I'm going through."

"You know that's really getting annoying." he said and she simply folded her arms over her chest. "You never use to interrupt me like this."

"Yeah, I use to just sit and listen to your bullshit, but with age comes wisdom I guess." she said before turning and walking back into her closet. Well he had to agree with her there. He heard her groan loudly from the closet.

"You know I could buy you clothes." he said and she stalked out of the closet sending him a glare. "I know you have your own money and you're fully capable of buying your own clothes, but what did you always say?" he rolled his hand in front of him trying to remember. "Right, how spending my money always made you feel warm on the inside." the glare she was sending him broke and she smiled. And as soon as she did, he threw his fist in the air at the victory. "I made you smile, now you have to be my friend again." she just shook her head before walking over to her coffee mug. "Twinkie-" she sent the death glare his way. "I don't know why you hate the nickname, it's endearing."

"It's stupid and haunts me." she said before bringing her mug to her lips. "Do you know how it feels to go through life being known as a Hostess snack cake?" she glanced over to him. "Well of course you don't Oliver, or Ollie." her eyes widened at a sudden thought as she turned to him. "Or, you know what I could start calling you Liver again. That was a good one."

"No, that was a horrible, horrible nickname." Oliver said with a slight shutter. "Good thing it never caught on."

"Yeah, good thing." she replied with a shake of her head. "But you know, I think I want to change that Liver." she smiled before turning and digging back through her closet. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I can handle anymore Alien Oliver time. I mean I remember when there was a time when you were ashamed to be out in public with me."

"I never-" she stepped out of the closet and gave him a look as if to stop the lie before he could even say it. "Fine, I was jerk, but I thought we already knew that."

"We do, but I'm not really a forgive and forget kind of girl."

"Yeah, you hold on to a grudge longer that anyone I know." he muttered and she just rolled her eyes before disappearing back in her closet. "Didn't you pack clothes?"

"Yeah, stupid airport lost my suitcase!" she called back out to him. Oliver didn't know if that was a coincidence or just , bad luck, or a clue, but either way he was going to make sure. He texted the new found information to Felicity. "I knew it was in here!"

"Knew what was in where?" Oliver asked walking over to the closet only to stop when Katie walked out. "What's that?"

"My dream outfit." she said digging into the bag and pulling out a pair of jeans and light blue blouse. She looked up to see Oliver's confused face and she shook her head. "Well I was a big girl and I had a size in my head that I wanted to be, so for some I don't know inspiration, I bought this outfit."

"I never thought there was anything wrong with how you look" Oliver stated and Katie rolled her eyes before looking over to him.

"Did you want to do me?" she asked and he opened his mouth but no words came out. "That's what was wrong with how I looked." she shook her head. "But that's not why I did this." she said gesturing to her body. "It was apart of it, but there was more to it." she met Oliver's gaze once more and she still just had one question. "Seriously, why are you here?"

"Why do you want me to go so badly?" he countered evading the question. She sighed before grabbing the clothes and heading off to the bathroom.

"Yesterday morning you were dead and this morning you're not. That's the kind of thing people need to process."

"What better way to process then a constant reminder?" he asked and Katie shook her head before disappearing off into the bathroom. Oliver looked around her room still not believing how little it change. He spent a lot of time here, in this room actually usually when he wanted to get away from being Oliver Queen for a while. But he really was a jerk back then and it doesn't surprise him how hesitant she is to let him back in. His phone rang and he looked down to see Felicity's face. He quickly answered. "Now do you have something?"

_"Actually I do."_ the woman responded proudly. "I _think this may be about her father. Jacob Robins is one of the most wealthy men alive and yet a lot of people don't even know who he is."_

"He really was just a business man, he wasn't too attracted to being in the spotlight." Oliver said looking up to the wall to a picture of Katie and her father on graduation day.

_"Yeah, well our shy billionaire had his hands in a lot of pots. From oil, nuclear energy, clean energy, hell he even has shares in some Starling City local businesses."_

"What does that have to do with anything?"

_"Well when there's almost dead billionaire, a lot of people want to know where all his billions are going and in this case we already know."_

"His next of kin" Oliver muttered looking to another picture of Katie when she was just a little girl. "Katie."

_"Right, so if Jacob's dead, and then someone takes out his daughter, then that leave's a lot of business for the highest bidder. It's just a theory."_

"But it's a good one. Thanks Felicity. Could you compile a list of all there people who could stand to gain something with Mr. Robin's and Katie's death. If we can find out who could possibly gain-"

_"Then we can find out who has the target on her back"_ Felicity finished the thought. " _So, have you talked to her?"_

"No, I'm still not sure how to bring it up." Oliver replied.

_"Maybe you can't._ " Felicity said stressing the word you hoping he caught her drift. He kind of like the fact that at least one person hadn't been introduced to the hood. _"The hood is very compelling when he needs answers."_

"I'll take that under consideration." he said before ending the call and slipping it back into his pocket.

When Katie was finished with her shower and fully dressed she walked back into her bedroom to find Oliver lying on her bed, his eyes closed.

"I know you're not sleep." she said grabbing a stuffed animal from her vanity and tossing it at him. "You sound like a fog horn when you sleep." he opened his eyes and gave her a slight smile.

"Do you remember when I would come over and we'd listen to music all night?" Oliver asked and Katie just turned away from him. "Those were some good times. Kind of some great times"

"What are you doing Oliver!?" She snapped turning back to him. "We can't go down memory lane because that's a fucked up street. Yes, I remember lying next to you listening to music one moment and then you turning around and handing me your history assignment that was due the following week. I remember going to parties with you, only for you to disappear and leave me alone the entire time. I remember you-"

"Ok, I get it!" Oliver said his voice obviously annoyed and angry. "I was a jerk when we were kids, but we're not kids anymore!" he sat up from the bed and walked around to stand in front of her. "I came here today because in my entire life I've had many friends. People I went clubbing with, who I got wasted with, who told me I was the shit even though I wasn't. I'm here because out all those people only one person actually told me that I wasn't an idiot, I just acted like one. Only one person visited me all summer when I broke my leg and was forced to wear a cast. I'm here because in my entire life, I've only had one true friend and I'm not going to walk away. Not again." Katie just stood there looking at him and he couldn't read her expression. He never could. He always figured there was a million things going on in her head, but you'd never know it. "You're right, that is annoying. Say something?"

"Do you have a car?" she asked and his brow furrowed in confusion. "You know four wheels, vroom, vroom?" he sent her a glare.

"I know what a car is, and yes I do have one" he replied wondering how this related to the conversation. "Why?"

"Because I need a ride to see my father's lawyers and since you're all in redemption mode, I thought I would just milk this cow til it dries." she turned walking over to grab her shoes before stopping and turning back to him. "Unless the life of a zombie billionaire is super busy and you don't have the time."

"No, I do have the time and I would be happy to give you a ride" Oliver said and Katie narrowed her eyes at him as if not expecting that answer. "I really have changed. You just have to give me the chance to show you." she just shook her head before turning to slip on her shoes. Once she was ready to go, they were walking outside when Katie spotted the man leaning against the car in front of the house. She recognized him instantly from the night before. When they got closer, Oliver decided to introduce them.

"Katie, this is John Diggle, I believe you met last night." Oliver said and Diggle was the first to hold out his hand.

"Yeah" Katie replied reaching out to shake the man's hand. "How's the foot?"

"Healing." he said with a slight smile.

"Good" she replied before letting his hand go. Diggle looked over to Oliver and Oliver simply shrugged. "So why are you here?"

"Oh, Diggle is my driver slash body guard" Oliver said and Katie looked at him with wide eyes. "Wha-fine, I know how that sounds, but it was my mom's idea and I didn't really want to argue. Katie turned back to Diggle and smiled before turning and about to head back to her house, but Oliver grabbed her arm.

"Do you really have time to have an opinion right now?" Oliver asked and Katie looked at him and sighed. Diggle opened the door to the backseat and Katie slide inside.

"You look like you're having fun?" Diggle said in hushed tones so only Oliver could hear. Oliver simply smirked in response before sliding in the car as well.

The ride was silent. They were sitting as far apart as possible, Katie looking out the window, Oliver looking pretty much everywhere.

"So, Ms. Robins, or should I call you Dr. Robins?" Diggle asked breaking the very awkward silence.

"Call her Twinkie" Oliver suggested which got him a hard slap to the arm.

"Don't call me that Mr. Diggle, and you can call me Katie. I usually save the doctor title for when I'm actually working" she replied sending one final glare to Oliver before turning back out the window.

"So where were you?" Oliver asked and she sighed. "With Doctor's Without Borders, where were you stationed?"

"Lots of places" she muttered not turning to him. He saw the way she began fiddling with her fingers at the mention of the organization.

"Like?" he asked deciding to push the topic. She turned to him, with a familiar look of annoyance. It was new. She always used to look at him different before. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that he liked it.

"You know when someone gives a vague answer to a question it probably means they don't want to answer the question."

"I am aware, which is why I get even more curious. So really where did you go?" Oliver asked again and Katie shook her head before looking up out the window.

"You can park right there in front of the building Mr. Diggle." Katie directed.

"John or Digg is fine, Katie" he replied as he pulled the car in front of the building. Once the car stopped, Oliver was the first to get out of the car, making sure to scan the area for anything suspicious.

"Well thanks for the ride John" she said before sliding out of the seat as well. "See you later Liver"

"Don't I get a thank you?" he asked and she gave a very unattractive snort.

"I thank the person who actually drove the car, not the guy sitting in the backseat" she replied before moving past him. She heard the car door closed and assumed he had gotten inside, but she heard the uneven footsteps behind her and stopped walking. She just stood there for a moment before turning to face. "What are you doing?"

"Walking you to the door" Oliver replied with a smile. "If I'm nothing, I am a gentleman." she rolled her eyes before turning and continuing her walk toward the building. They were walking up the cement stairs that lead to the large building, Katie's eyes forward, while Oliver's eyes couldn't stay in one place. He was glad that she wasn't looking at him, because at the moment he was in full arrow mode. That is what he attributes to him spotting something on top of the building across the street. It was quick, there and then gone, but something was there. He pressed a finger to his ear and whispered, "Digg, check out the roof of the building across the street."

"Did you say someth-" her words were cut off by a loud pop that seemed to move right past her ear. They were now ringing, no sound making it to her ears. Oliver said something to her, but she didn't hear it. He simply shook his head before grabbing her waist and practically carrying her somewhere. She looked around him to see people running, but there were a few who were just lying on the ground. Not moving. Something inside of her stirred and she began trying to pull from Oliver's grasp, but he was holding on to her tight. At some point they ended up inside the building when Oliver propped her against the wall away from all windows. She looked up to his eyes, seeing his mouth moving, but no words were making it to her ears. Suddenly he brought his hand to the side of her face and leaned in so close that she could feel his warm rapid breaths on her skin.

"Please-" he dropped his forehead to hers. "Are you hurt?" She heard that. Heard the fear and desperation in his voice. She heard the exhaustion from running up all those stairs with her in his arms.

"Ye-yeah, I mean I'm fine" she said and he lifted his head to look in her eyes. She nodded, wanting to reassure him. "I'm fine." her eyes lifted to his neck, where she saw blood. "You're not." she quickly lifted herself from the wall to look at the wound, but he grabbed her arms and pushed her back to the floor. "I need to look at it." she growled.

"And I need you to stay where you are until we know the shooter is caught" Oliver growled right back. "I'm fine, the bullet just grazed me." her eyes went back to his neck. There was a lot of blood and she wanted nothing more than to make sure it was just a graze. His phone rang and he turned away from her. His voice was lower than usual and she really couldn't hear what he was saying. Once the call ended he turned back to her. "That was Digg, he says he thinks the shooter made a run for it and that the police are on the way." Katie simply nodded. "I need to get you out of here." she nodded once again before letting him pull her to her feet.

The moment they stepped outside those doors and Katie once again spotted bodies lying on the ground. It happened again. Instinct. She jerked her arm from Oliver's grasp and ran toward the closest body. Oliver was about to go after her until he saw what she was doing. She dropped to her knees beside a woman's body. She stripped off her jacket, bundling it up and pressing it against her wound. Oliver just watched her trying to keep his senses open, trying to be aware of their surroundings, trying to not be too distracted by the way she moved. It was strange to see the total transformation of the smartass, smart mouthed woman into this woman whose only intention was to help people.

"Hey" Diggle said running up the stairs to Oliver. He noticed the blood on the man's neck instantly. "You, ok?"

"Yeah, just a scratch." Oliver said tearing his eyes from Katie and turning to the man. "Did you get a look at the guy before he got away." Diggle just shook his head.

"By the time I got to the roof they were gone." Diggle replied and Oliver turned back to Katie. "What do you think this was, random?"

"I don't think the day after we find out that someone's trying to kill her, she's almost shot by a sniper." Oliver said with a shake of his head. "This may look like some random shooting, but it wasn't. She was meant to die here."

"Oliver she maybe able to shed some light on some things." Diggle said and Oliver didn't agree or disagree. "Right now we have nothing but questions, you're going to have to ask her about them at some point." he took out his cell phone. "I'm going to call Felicity and see if she can hack into any of these security cameras to see if any of them got a look of the shooter." Oliver simply nodded as he watched Katie stand to her feet and run down the stairs to the next body.

Soon EMT's arrived and Katie directed them to the more critical victims before she turned and went over to Oliver.

"I"m looking at your neck now" she stated not bothering to ask for permission. She grabbed his arm and dragged him to one of the empty paramedic vans. He sat there, as she cleaned the wound. "Well what do you know, it really was just a graze."

"Looks like I do know something about something." he said glancing up to her, only for her to roll her eyes before placing a bandage on his neck. As soon as she was done, they looked up to see someone coming over to them.

"Why is it that I'm seeing you more now then when you were dating my daughter?" the detective asked glaring down to Oliver. He lifted his head to Katie before holding out his hand. " I'm detective Lance."

"Katherine Robins" she replied shaking the man's hand.

"A couple of the EMT's told me you helped with some of the victims" he said and Katie simply nodded. "You a doctor?"

"No" she said with a firm shake of her head. "I watch a lot of ER. Like seriously too much ER, but hey it really came in handy today, didn't it? " the detective just stood there staring at the woman obviously not seeing the humor in the situation.

"That was a joke" Oliver stated, feeling the need to point that out. "Yes, she is a doctor."

"You find something humorous about this situation, Dr. Robins?" the detective asked, not even trying to hide his distaste for the woman's demeanor in such a serious situation. "Is there something funny about people being shot and left for dead on steps, people running for their lives from a threat they can't even see. I have to tell you, I'm not seeing the punch line."

"Detective, that scene that happened over there, I've seen worse. And I know what you're thinking, what worse has some rich kid from Starling seen, but trust me that I've seen things that could break a man like yourself. I'm fully aware of what has happened today and I do not think it's funny in the slightest, but if I let myself feel all the feelings that come with what happened today, then you'd be scraping me off the ground, but I doubt my coping methods are why you came over here, so why don't we get that out of the way so you and I go our separate ways." Detective Lance stared at her for a moment and he looked like he there was more he wanted to say, but he simply took out his note pad.

"Did you see anything, anything at all that could help us find this guy?" he asked and Katie shook her head.

"It happened fast, I wasn't sure where anything was coming or going" she said with a shrug of her shoulders before turning to Oliver.

"Same" he said turning to the detective. Lance simply scribbled something in the note pad.

"Well thank you for your assistance." the muttered before turning and walking away.

"Lance?" Katie said once the man was gone. "Laurel's father?"

"Yep" Oliver said watching the man walking over to question more of the witnesses.

"Also father of Sara?" she asked, but she didn't need him to answer. She simply slid out of the van and began walking away.

"Hey!" Oliver called chasing after her. "Where are you going?"

"Home." she replied walking further down the block. The street in front of the building was blocked off, so she'd have to walk further to find a cab. "There's nothing like being shot at that makes you grateful for, four walls, you know?"

"I can give you a ride" Oliver said walking up beside her, keeping up with a fast stride.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea" Katie said glancing over to him. "I mean I've been here all of a day, but then you show up, with your body guard and people are shooting at me."

"You think this is about me?" Oliver asked surprise, but then again if he didn't know what he did, then the idea wouldn't be so farfetched. "This isn't about me."

"Says the guy who needs a body guard." Katie replied passing the police barriers. They slipped through the crowd of on lookers until they reached traffic and Katie spotted a taxi headed her way. "I think it's best if you go home and I go home and everyone just stops talking for five minutes." she brought her fingers to her lips and let out a high whistle and the taxi drove over. She opened the door, but stopped and turned back to Oliver. "As long as that stays dry it should be fine, but if it gets wet I want you to clean and re-bandage that, ok?" he simply nodded and she gave him a slight smile before turning and slipping into the back of the cab.

Katie had long found that bad days are better left in the past. That's where Katie hoped this day would go. And so the moment she returned home, she worked on making that happen. She jumped in the shower hoping to wash the grit and grime from the day away. As she sat under the warm water, her eyes closed, she couldn't help the feeling. The familiarity of the day, how one day in Starling seemed to mirror years in the place she refers to as hell. She shook off the thought before reaching out and turning off the water. What was the point of getting out of hell if you couldn't stop thinking about it? She slipped on an oversized shirt before walking back into her room. It still felt strange being here. It was as if she didn't belong here, or at least the woman she was now didn't belong here. She ended down back downstairs, searching for something to eat which was pointless she knew. Nobody had lived in this house for years and finding anything edible was slim to none. That's why take out was her only choice. There was a Chinese place that she use to love, and she was glad that when she dialed their number they were actually still around. It was one of the reasons she wanted to stay inside since she'd been back. She was fine with taking care of her father's affairs, but other than that, Starling didn't feel the same. Didn't feel like home.

Her eyes were glued to some terrible reality show when the doorbell rang. She jumped to her feet, grabbing some cash and heading for the door.

"Seriously, you have no idea how hungry I-" her words got caught in her throat when she opened the door and saw that it wasn't the delivery man standing there.

"Katherine Robins" His distorted voice said, but Katie wasn't too interested in what he was saying. She couldn't take her eyes off the man clad in green leather with a hood over his head that seemed to cover darkness. "We need to talk." she opened her mouth to speak, but words were still failing her. He didn't wait for an invitation before just walking inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**The Frustrated Hero**

_**"** A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles"_

_-Christopher Reeve_

* * *

It is not strange to be nervous while being stared down by a hooded vigilante who just happens to be standing in your living room. It's actually makes sense that you stand frozen when all the lights shut off leaving the two of you in darkness, with only the moonlight filtering in to illuminate the room, slightly.

"I need you to tell me why I found this in the apartment of a hit man." the hood said as he pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and held it out to her. She didn't move, not even slightly. She just kept her eyes on him. He sighed before unfolding the picture and showing her that it was a photo of pictures pasted to a wall and they all seemed to be of her. "You're someone's target. Why!" the way he said it was very intimidating, and yet she didn't move an inch. "Speak!"

"Pants-" she blurted out and that sort of threw him for a loop. "I'm not having a conversation with someone wearing leather, without pants." he dropped his head to see that she was in fact only wearing an over sized t shirt, without any pants. Without waiting for him to agree or disagree to the request, she turned and walked over to the stairs, running up them.

"That's a first." Diggle's voice says from Oliver's earpiece.

"Stop talking please." Oliver said the annoyance clear in his voice. He only stood there for five minutes when he realized she wasn't coming back down. "Digg?"

"Yep."

"Window?"

"Yep."

Oliver growled in annoyance before storming up the stairs. He burst through her door to find her fully dressed and halfway out her window. The moment he came in, her eyes turned to him and they just stared at each other.

"You can't say you didn't see this coming." she said, wishing she could see under his hood. She was a funny person and liked to be appreciated for that.

"Out of the window, now!" he ordered before stalking over to her and she did what he didn't expect. She threw herself out the window. A very thorny bush broke her fall, but it didn't stop the pain. She lied on her back for a moment hoping the pain would subside soon, but it didn't. Suddenly she heard footsteps and picked herself up off the ground. She turned and came face to face with a man in a ski mask.

"He has a side kick?" she asks genuinely surprised. She had more questions but before she could ask them she heard movement behind her. The moment she turned around came face to face with the hood once again. "Son of a bitch." she turned about to run, but the hooded figure grabbed her arm. She pulled as far as she could before tossing her arm at him, but he blocked it. "Let me go!" those were the last words she said before she felt something prick her neck, and then only darkness followed. Oliver grabbed her and hiked her up into his arms before she could fall to the ground.

"I should've known this wouldn't be easy." he muttered looking over to Diggle.

"Really, kidnapping one's friend is usually a walk in the park." Diggle said not missing the roll of Oliver's eyes as he adjusted the woman in his arms.

"I'll take her, search the house for anything that might help." Diggle simply nodded before running into the house. Oliver then looked down to his unconscious friend and shook his head.

_To the untrained ear, the popping and cracking from outside sounded like lightening, or firecrackers, but Katie was a year into her Doctor's Without Borders tour and she knew the sounds she was hearing. She knew what was happening outside, but she couldn't let herself think about it. There was a ten year old boy bleeding out and no matter what she did, she couldn't stop it._

" _I need more gauze!" she yelled looking up to the nurses who probably didn't understand a lick of English. "Um, Treba mi-" she couldn't think of the words and it was frustrating as hell. "Gauze!" she gestured with her hands to the boys wounds and then one of the nurses hurried off. Katie hoped that was a good sign. She looked down to the boy whose eyes were barely open. "Stay with me, ok. We're getting through this." she kept her hands pressed firmly on his abdomen her eyes closed. She was at a loss for what to do. The door to the small hospital burst open and soon she heard the deep accented voice gruffly making orders in a language she didn't understand. She didn't move. She knew the moment her hands lifted from the boys wound then he was dead. There were more incomprehensible orders that she chose not to even try to follow. Soon a hand full of her hair was grabbed pulling her back hard. Her hands were forced to leave the boy and as she was pulled back. She tried keeping her eyes on him until his barely opened eyes just shut. An anger filled her. And without thinking she threw her elbow in the gut of the man holding her. It was a bad move, because as soon as she did a fist came right to her face knocking her out._

"No!" she screamed her head jerking up. There was suddenly a hand on her shoulder, but she couldn't see who it was. There was something over her eyes, a blind fold. "Where am I?"

"You're safe." came the distorted voice of her captor. She pulled at her arms and legs and they were all tied to whatever she was sitting on.

"Yeah, I feel real safe right now." she said trying to pull free. "Why have you kidnapped me?"

"Someone is trying to kill you."

"Yeah, and my best guess right now is that you're that someone!" she snapped finally giving up on pulling her hands from the rope. "Look, if this is about money-"

"I don't want your money" he said and Katie dropped her head and took a deep breath. "I want you to tell me why someone would want to kill you." she simply shook her head before lifting it slightly.

"That is a loaded question." she replied. "I've made a lot of enemies."

"Well narrow it down for me!" he snapped. She didn't jump or shake at his tone as he would expect someone in her position to do. Oliver didn't know how he felt about that. "I'm trying to help you."

"Well I didn't ask for your help!" she countered lifting her head. Oliver just shook his head before standing to his feet. Katie heard footsteps echoing around her, but she knew they were getting farther and father away. "You're leaving!" she yelled in anger. "Don't leave me here like this!" he didn't say anything and it's when she heard a door close did she realize that she was truly alone. "Fuck!"

The moment Oliver was on the other side of the door, he placed a hand on his earpiece.

"Digg, tell me you found something." Oliver said turning to look at the door.

"I found something." the man replied. "And you won't believe it. I searched Jacob's office and found a safe. I used our nifty skeleton key and found a lot of very detailed files here and a notebook."

"Notebook?"

"A very familiar notebook." Diggle replied and Oliver knew he meant that Katie's father had a copy of the book his father had given him. "I'm bringing all of this to the foundry so Felicity can look it over."

"I'll meet you there."

"Wait, what about Katie?" Diggle asked and Oliver glanced up to the door.

"She's being stubborn, and I think a little time to herself will help her be more cooperative."

"Or it could tack on another person who wants to kill you." Diggle replied.

"What's one more to the list?"

When Oliver arrived to the foundry he found John and Felicity both standing over a table covered in papers.

"What did you find?" he asked sitting his bow down and walking over. The moment he did, Felicity looked up to him and glared and since he just walked in the room, he was a little confused as to what the look was for. "What?"

"You tied her up and left her in a room?" Felicity asked and Oliver simply turned away from her judgmental eyes. He looked down to the paper, hoping his blatant evasion of the question would give her the hint. "Seriously?"

"She's fine."

"She's fine?" Felicity asked hating how nonchalantly he was being about this. "She's blindfolded and tied to a chair, knowing absolutely nothing. When I suggested the hood talk to her, I was kind of meaning with words."

"If I didn't tie her down, she would run." Oliver countered. "And since someone is now aggressively trying to hurt her, locking her in a room is my best solution right now, so please spare me." he looked back down to the papers. "Did you find anything here?" Felicity sent a pointed look his way before looking down to the papers.

"These are files. Business transactions, asset consolidation, contracts." Felicity said before picking up one piece of paper. "And then there's this. Last will and testament leaving it all to his daughter. I'm starting to think the whole killing the daughter to get to the money is a very probable theory."

"And then there the handy notebook I found." Diggle said holding up the small book that looked exactly like Oliver's father's. Diggle flipped through the pages until he found the list of names. "It's an exact replica."

"It doesn't make any sense." Oliver said with a shake of his head. "Jacob did business clean, his name is nowhere on that list."

"What if someone wanted him to." Felicity suggested and they turned to her for her to continue. "I mean this guy is kind of a big deal in the business world, and whose ever running this club of evil blue bloods probably wanted to get him in on the action. And when he declines-" she waved her hands wildly in front of her. "Mysterious coma."

"Oliver, anyone in this book could have ordered the hit." Diggle said and Oliver nodded before turning back to Felicity.

"Any luck with tracking our infamous hit man?"

"I still monitoring all credit cards, cell phones, hell I'm monitoring his library card for all of his aliases. As soon as he uses any of it, we'll have it." Felicity said and Oliver nodded.

"Alright, keep me posted." Oliver turned and walked back toward the stairs.

"Wait, where are you going?" "Diggle asked.

"To try to talk to the pain in my ass friend!" Oliver called as he ran up the stairs.

He had her tied in an abandoned building not far from the foundry. The truth was he hoped her time alone would give her some perspective, or at least knock some sense in to her. She was tied to a chair and had no idea what he would do to her, she should be a little more forthcoming. When he arrived, he stood out side the door for a moment, mentally preparing himself for the conversation that lied ahead. He took a deep breath before opening the door and closing it behind him. There wasn't much light in the room, but there was enough to tell him that she wasn't in the chair anymore. He walked over to the center of the room and looked down to the chair that was now lying on it's side, the ropes that were tied around her, now lying on the chair.

"How did you do that?" he asked out loud knowing she was still in the room. The door locked from the outside and trying to climb out any of the windows was suicide since they were a couple floors from the ground.

"Would you believe me if I told you that wasn't the first chair I've been tied to." her voice flowed from the darkness. "And it probably won't be my last, that's the fucked up thing about it."

"I want to help you." Oliver said spinning around trying to see her. He didn't want to make any sudden movements that could scare her or cause a confrontation.

"What did you inject me with?" she asked.

"Mild tranquilizer, it's completely out of your system by now."

"Any known side effect?"

"No."

"Good." she replied and then they were suddenly in silence.

"Did you know about the items in your father's safe?" he asked hoping that if he kept her talking, kept trying to assure her of his motives that she'd believe him.

"You searched my house?" she asked finally stepping into the little light that illuminate the room. She was standing just a couple of feet in front of him, her head dipping slightly to glimpse under the hood, but he turned away. "That's against the law."

"I'm a vigilante, I do a lot of things against the law." he replied and she nodded. "Someone wants you dead and I think you know why. Let me help you." she stared at him and once again he found himself trying to read her expression.

"Ok, lets say for of a sliver of a second I believe you." she said folding her arms over her chest. "Someone out there wants me dead, why would you think I would know why?"

"Things just don't happen to us. Not all the time. There are clues, hints. Maybe you've gotten some. If not here then maybe your time overseas or-"

"Ok, new topic, how the hell do you know I was overseas?" Katie asked dropping her hands to her sides, The expression in her face was now unmistakable. She was suspicious. Before he could speak she held up her hand to stop him. "You know what, I don't care. I would like to go now."

"That's not happening until the threat against you is eliminated."

"Well do you plan on jumping out of this building because you're the only threat I see." she said before he did what not many dared to do. She took a step forward and suddenly the little light in the room was gone, which meant Felicity and Diggle were now watching on the camera that was set up. They now stood in darkness, the moonlight only giving a sense on where the other stood. "Leather pants guy, I wish to leave now and you're going to let me out."

"That's not happening." he countered just as defiantly.

"Well suit yourself." and the next few moments happened so quickly that it was kind of blur. She dropped to her feet and with a hard kick she knocked his feet from under him. She quickly got back to her own feet and made a bee line for the door. Oliver quickly turned grabbing her ankle and pulled her footing causing her to fall flat on her stomach. She kicked a leg, but he dodged it easily before jumping to his feet, she turned over and did the same. Both were breathing unevenly, using the moonlight to try to keep an eye on the other. "You're holding back. Why?"

"I don't want you hurt you." he replied and she let out a snort.

"No, you just want to lock me in a room and protect me from the invisible boogie man." she replied before throwing a fist toward him, but he caught her arm, spinning her around bringing her back to his chest and trapping her arm behind her back.

"The threat against you is real. If it wasn't I wouldn't be wasting my time" he said his breath tickling her ear.

"You're wasting your time anyway." she replied before tossing her head back, hitting him in the face. She didn't use much force, because despite the craziness of the situation she did believe that he wanted to help her. What she wasn't prepared to do was sit in a dark room until he eliminated this supposed threat. The move caught him by surprise, that much she knew from the way his grasp on her loosened. The moment it did, she didn't waste any time before she was running to the door and thanking her lucky stars it was unlocked. She ran and didn't plan on stopping anytime soon.

Oliver slammed his fist into the ground angrily before jumping to his feet and running after her. He placed a hand over his com, hoping Diggle was thinking a head.

"Digg?"

"I'm way a head of you." Diggle replied breathing heavily. "I got her in sights. She's running down fifth."

"I'm on my way." Oliver said bursting through the door of the building. He hopped on top of his bike cranking the engine and pulling off hoping to catch her before she got herself killed. Oliver was speeding down the street trying to ignore that the little tuffle he had with her actually had him slightly sore. Only slightly. He put all thoughts away when he spotted Diggle, standing on the corner his eyes searching. "Where did she go?" Oliver pulled up beside the man and began looking around as well.

"I don't know. I lost her." Diggle replied before turning to Oliver. "I think your friend Twinkie may not be the person we thought she was."

"I'm starting to get that." Oliver replied in annoyance. He knew there was a change in her, but he didn't see this. "Felicity, I placed a tracker on Katie's jacket back at the warehouse." Felicity was silent for a moment and he figured she was typing on one of her computers.

"I have it." Felicity spoke verifying his suspicions. "She's heading east on Layton, wait, I think I know where she's going."

"Where?" Diggle asked.

"She's going back home." Oliver said before turning his bike and speeding off in her direction.

"Oliver there's something else you should know." Felicity said. "I was going to tell you, but then a very unexpected fight took place, and then Katie got out the room , and we lost her-"

"Felicity, what is it!" Oliver snapped as he swerved his bike between cars. He really didn't need to hear the recap of recent events.

"I got a hit on our hit man." Felicity said. "Well not an actual hit. I wish, then none of this would be happening." she sighed. "Never mind, he made a call and guess where it came from."

"You're going to tell me Katie's house." Oliver said trying to make his bike go as fast as he could at this moment.

"Oliver, she's on foot and you're on a bike. You can beat her there." Felicity said trying make ease of the situation.

"Just pay attention to that tracker." Oliver ordered before ending the transmission. If he were to list situations he never thought he would be in, then this would be at the top of the list. When he was younger, the time he spent with Katie, though he never told her, were some of the best times in his life. He felt like someone else when he was with her, and sometimes he just wanted to be someone else. Then she left and that person he was with only her left as well. He didn't realize it until he spotted her on their lawn, stomping on Diggle foot and running away.

When Oliver pulled up in front of Katie's house, the first thing that caught his eye was that the front door was wide open, and the lights were still off inside.

"Felicity, where's Katie?"

"Still headed your way. She's picked up speed, so I guess she's found a ride."

"Let me know the exact moment she gets here." Oliver replied glancing up to the house. He needed to get inside without whoever was inside knowing. He remembered the window to Katie's bedroom being open and thought it would be his best bet. Oliver went to the back of the house to see the window still opened and so he began to climb. It wasn't until he was actually in the house did he hear movement from somewhere. There was definitely someone inside.

Moving quickly and quietly was simple, Oliver followed the noise that was coming downstairs, careful that each of his steps made no sound. The sound was coming from the the direction of Jacob's office. Once Oliver was close enough, he heard a man's voice.

"Yeah, nothing and no one is here." a voice spoke. Oliver peaked into the offices where he spotted the man dressed in all black, his head looking around the open safe that was empty. "Yeah, the safe was open when I got here. Cleared out too."

"Oliver-" Felicity's voice spoke through the com. "She's there." Oliver didn't say anything, his eyes fixed on a scowl that was on the man.

"Well she can't stay gone for too long." the man said. "Once she gets here, I'll make her talk and then I'll take care of her." and with that the man hung up the phone. Both men stood up a little straighter when they heard the sound of the front door opening and slamming closed. The man smiled before walking toward the door, but before he could leave the office Oliver came into view. "You're-"

"Yeah, I know who I am." Oliver's modulated voice spoke as he stalked toward the man. "Better question is, who are you?" the man's hand moved quickly to grab his gun, a move that seemed pointless because as soon his hand moved, Oliver had knocked him out. He took a step toward the man, when he felt her presence behind him.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" she said as he let out an annoyed sigh before turning to her. "How did you beat me here. I told that stupid driver to take water street, but no he just had to-" her eyes ventured down to the man lying unconscious on the floor. "Who is that lying on the floor in my father's office?"

"That's the man who was going to kill you." Oliver said looking down to the man as well. He turned back to Katie who was looking at him with wide eyes. "Do you know him?" Katie walked over to get a look at the man's face and just shook her head.

"Nope." she said before crouching down and placing her fingers on his neck. "He's still alive?" she asked looking up to the hood.

"Yes." Oliver answered.

"Why?" Katie replied before standing up straight and sending a kick into the man's side. Oliver grabbed her shoulder to pull her back, but she pulled away from him, distancing herself from him. "Did he tell you why he was trying to kill me?"

"No," Oliver replied. "But I have a feeling it has something he thought was going to be in there" Oliver pointed to the open, empty safe. Katie walked over and looked inside. "Don't worry, the contents are safe." she turned back to him with a furrowed brow before shaking her head.

"This is ridiculous." she stormed out of her father's office. Oliver hesitated for a moment, deciding to go after her, or just grab the guy and leave, but the tiny voice in his head won out and so he went after her. "One day I've been here, just one day and someone's trying to kill me." she whipped around to see Oliver. "And there's you. The guy who has kidnapped me and saved my life all in one night." The house was still dark, which made her even more annoyed since with every passing second she wanted to see his face. She'd spent hours with him and that was the single thing she wanted the most, but she didn't say it out loud. "Ok, how about you grab the hit man back there, do whatever it is you like to do with him and get out of my house."

"I will." Oliver said before taking a few steps toward her, closing the gap between them. He was standing close, but not too close. The room was dark, but he still feared that his friend who had a knack for paying attention to the details would find out his secret. "First we need to talk."

"We don't. We really don't" Katie said pointing in the direction of her father's office. "Get the unconscious man out of my father's office and you and him just get the hell out of my life!" Oliver didn't show it, but he felt the sting of her words. He had to remind himself who she was talking to. She was talking to the hood, not Oliver.

"I'm sorry." Oliver said giving her a slight nod before turning and walking toward the door. She didn't expect him to give in that easy. They'd been bickering back and forth and now he wasn't even putting up a fight. She felt guilty all of a sudden. The man had just saved her life and she told to him to leave.

"What-what about the unconscious man in my father's office?" she asked and he stopped right at the door. And as if on cue, police sirens echoed through the room. "You think of everything don't you?"

"Not everything." he muttered as he reached forward to open the door, but stopped. He was almost gone, the wind hitting him in the face, but he stopped. The question was burning a hole in his skull and if he didn't ask her, h doesn't think he'll have the chance again. He turned back to see her staring back at him.

"You should go, right?" she asked wondering why he wasn't jumping at the chance to put distance between them. "vigilantes and police are vinegar and oil, right?" he didn't say anything as he stared at her and that made her nervous. He brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck under his hood and she narrowed her eyes at the move. She wished she could see his eyes. There was so much you could tell from a person's eyes. "This guy I know does that when he has something to say." Oliver quickly dropped his hand and raised his head to see her staring at him the moment her words hit him. At the moment he hated her knack for attention to details with a passion. "Just say it."

"Back at the warehouse-" he spoke and stopped. "How-"

"You have have your secrets Mr. Leather Pants, and I have mine." she said already knowing these line of questioning would only lead to a place it can't go. She was right. He had no right to ask her to tell him her secrets when he was standing there pretending to be someone else. It didn't stop his curiosity. He simply nodded before disappearing out the door. She stood there for a bit longer, the conversation and all the unanswered questions still swimming around her head. The sirens were getting closer, and she realized that there was a way to rectify that...partially. She took a deep breath before heading in the direction of her father's office.

Oliver returned to foundry where Felicity and Diggle were waiting for him. They both turned as he walked down the stairs. Their eyes stay on him waiting for him to say something.

"Police have our hit man in custody." Felicity said and Oliver nodded as he walked over to place his boy in it's holder. "You didn't question him."

"I don't have to." Oliver replied turning back to her. "Trace the last call that came from his phone. He was talking to whoever sent him before he saw me." Felicity nodded before turning back to her computers.

"So are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" Diggle asked and Oliver shook his head turning away from the man. "I guess not" Oliver didn't say another word as he head to the bathroom to shower.

The next morning Oliver found himself standing outside of her door. He hadn't worked up the courage to ring the bell. He knew too much and too little at the same time and because of that he felt as if he really didn't know the woman on the other side of this door. Since he'd been back he had made peace that over the years everyone in his life had changed. For some reason it was taking him a little longer to get use to the idea that his Twinkie had changed.

"Excuse me, dude." a voice said from behind him. He turned to see a teenage boy, who simply moved around him, walking into Katie's house. Oliver stood there confused for a moment before turning and opening the door himself. He walked inside to the sound of music playing and more teenage boys around all cleaning the mess in Katie's house. Oliver's eyes narrowed unsure how this even happened. One of the boys walked passed him and he grabbed his shoulder.

"What are you guys doing here?" Oliver asked and the boy scoffed.

"What does it look like?" the boy said before going to the living room to pick up knocked over furniture. Oliver's eyes scanned around, before spotting the woman just as she walked toward the kitchen. The moment he stepped through the door he stopped almost immediately. A smile tugged at his lips at the sight of Katie dancing, standing over the sink as she washed the dishes. He watched as she hips swayed to the awful music resonating throughout the house, his head tilted to the side as he watched her dance, but he soon cleared his throat and shook his head before taking a step forward.

"And here I was thinking you actually had good taste in music." he said and she jumped turning to him.

"So is it a thing now that people just walk in here without my permission?" she asked turning back to the sink. He walked over beside her, making sure he was close enough to be annoying. It's when she reached for another plate, and her arm bumped into him did she allow herself to acknowledge him.

"Was there a party I wasn't invited to?" Oliver asked and Katie sarcastically chuckled, grabbing a towel to dry her hands.

"No, but follow me." she said already walking off. He stood there for a moment before his curiosity got the best of him and he followed. They ended up in her father's office which was still a wreck from the night before. He made sure to act surprise as he walked in.

"Ok, you want to tell me now what happened to your house?" he asked and she whipped around with narrowed eyes. He looked at her, a slight nervousness creeping into him, but he didn't let it show. It seems that's what she was looking for. A twitch or bat of an eye. He realized the night before that he was going to have to be extra careful around her. "What?" she stared at him for a moment before dropping her head. She let out a sigh before turning to the open safe that was still empty.

"There was a break in." she said walking over to the safe. "Only thing missing is whatever my dad had in here." she leaned in a little closer her eye catching something. In the back of the safe, the wall seemed to be peeling. She reached inside pulling at the wall when she realize that it was a false wall. She pulled in off revealing an envelope.

"What's that?" Oliver asked moving behind her.

"A letter," she said bringing her eyes to his. "Addressed to your father." the doorbell rang before anymore questions could be asked.

"I should get that." Katie said folding the envelope and slipping it into her back pocket much to Oliver's annoyance. A letter from Jacob to his father was bound to reveal all sorts of sordid secrets. He followed behind her to the door, teens passing them as they walked.

"Seriously, who are these kids?" Oliver asked and Katie looked over her shoulder with a sly grin.

"The last time I was home I caught them teepeeing the house. I met with their parents and we came to an agreement." Katie said and she didn't miss the lost look on Oliver's face. "I own them. Whenever, or however I may choose." one of the boys walking by sent her a glare and she only smiled before turning to open the door. The moment she did her smile fell. Oliver came up beside her to see a man, clad in blue scrubs looking tired and worn.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**An Empty Home**

_"Home is a shelter from storms – all sorts of storms."_

_-William J. Bennett_

* * *

Silence was not usually how you greeted a house guest, whether welcome or unwelcome. The moment Katie saw Mike standing at her door, the only thing she had inside of her was silence. It took her a couple of minutes to come back to the situation.

"What are you doing here Mike?" she asked and the man's eyes were too sad and she felt herself take a step back. She didn't get too far as Oliver's hand seemed placed right on the small of her back.

"I don't have your phone number." he said his voice rough. He kept his eyes on her. It was a technique she was all too familiar with. It was guilt and pity all wrapped up in a look. "I wanted to call you, but I don't have your number."

"When?" she asked simply. There was no need to draw this out. No need for pleasantries or unnecessary questions.

"Katie?" his voice was practically pleading with her, but she kept her face stone.

"Mike!" she snapped. She could feel it. She'd learned a long time ago that emotions were dangerous. Letting yourself feel things not under your control was a distraction and distraction lead to the bad things. "When?"

"Last night." said Mike turning away from her. "His blood pressure dropped, and then his heart rate slowed and I-" he looked back to her. "Believe me when I say I tried to bring him back, but it was no use. Katie, I'm sorry." she didn't say anything. At this point her mind was just blank.

"Thank you." she said finally before slamming the door closed. She turned around and looked up to Oliver slight surprised as if she had forgotten he was there.

"Katie-" he placed his hands on the sides of her face. He recognized the look in her eyes. She was fighting the feelings that were happening inside of her. He was all to familiar with the situation she was in and could only imagine where her head was right now. She pulled out of his grasp before moving passed him, climbing the stairs before disappearing from his sight. He stood there for a moment unsure of what to do. The teenagers roaming about, and music playing probably wasn't helping so he decided that's where he would start.

"Hey!" he said looking to one of the guys. "Turn the music off, you all can go now" they looked at him unsure if they should listen. He would smile if the situation called for it. Of course Twinkie would put the fear of God in them. "It's fine, you can go." they simply nodded. Soon the house was empty and quiet and Oliver stood standing at the base of the stairs. The old Oliver would've turned around a left. The old Oliver wasn't good with emotions when it came to girls. He usually got out while he still could. And when it came to Katie he usually played dumb hoping to reduce her expectations of him. Once upon a time he thought that was a good thing. Now he sees how selfish that really was. And so Oliver did something the old Oliver would never do. He was actually going to be a good friend. He climbed the stairs and veered down a familiar hall until he spotted her room.

He pushed open her door to see her sitting on the bed, her back to him as she stared out the window.

"I'm fine Oliver, you can go." she said not breaking the contact with the window. She needed to focus on something else and the bird on the limb outside of her window was proving to be a suitable distraction. She expected him to turn around and leave. What she didn't expect was for the weight shift beside her as he sat next to her. It was so unexpected that she actually let it tear her eyes from the bird to look at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm being there for you." he said staring back at her and she had to turn away in that moment because if she didn't it would happen. She would cry and she promised herself a long time ago that she wouldn't cry anymore. And so they just sat in silence. Oliver never made a move to leave and he kept his eyes on her. After a while he reached over placing his hand over her hand that sat on his lap. "I'm sorry." she turned and looked him. The sadness in her eyes was heart breaking and he found himself trying to think of anything...anything to make that pain go away, but there was nothing he could do. A sob escaped her throat and her eyes widened as her hand slapped against her lips. It was happening and at the moment she felt it could. At the moment she didn't feel the need to be stone. She felt the tear that she was desperately trying to blink away fall down her cheek. Oliver's hand lifted from her own, only to slide around her waist pulling her closer to him. Her head fell against his shoulder and she let him just be there for her.

Katie had only been there five days before death was assaulting her nose...again. She stood silently in the autopsy room, her father's file now fallen to the floor as her eyes find themselves unable to tear away from his pale corpse as he lays on the metal slab in front of her. She looked over the files over a hundred times trying to make sense of the fact that he was actually gone. After his stroke he fell into a coma and she thought for sure that he would beat it. His life was proof that he didn't let things beat him. He fought. So now she stood wondering why he didn't fight this. She heard the metal doors behind her slide open, but she didn't turn.

"Katie?" it was Mike and his voice was fill with that pity she hated hearing. She didn't need people to feel sad for her or to look at her like she just lost her puppy. She was fine. "You can't-"

"Funeral arrangements have been made."

"I know, I talked with Mrs. Queen this morning." Mike said his heavy footsteps getting closer to her. "They're moving him tonight." she felt him beside her but didn't feel the need to look at him. Not him. Not the one whose job was to prevent what she was looking at. He sighed before bending down and picking up the files.

"His heart rate dropped suddenly, but there isn't a reason stated in the file." she said and he turned to her to see her eyes never parting from her father's body.

Mike ran a hand across his face before moving to stand right next to her. "It was time Katie. He knew it and so he just let go." she shook her head before reaching down and pushing the slab back into the fridge before turning and walking off. "This happens and you know that!"

"I do know that!" she snapped angrily turning back the man. "But I know my father and I know he wouldn't just let go."

"You want there to be a reason for this to happen when you know that sometimes it's not that simple."Mike replied walking over to her. "Sometimes people die and it can't be prevented." her eyes glanced over to the unit her father's body lie. She turned her eyes back to Mike's but only for a second before turning and walking out of the cold room. It seemed easier for her to breathe the moment she stepped outside of the hospital. She reached into her pocket for her cell phone about to call for a cab when the sound of an engine caught her attention. She lifted her head to see a black car pull up and out the backseat stepped a familiar face.

"You finally got a phone." Oliver said not missing the look of confusion on her face. "I don't think I have the number."

"What are you doing here?" she asked as Oliver walked over to her. It was strange that she seemed to be seeing him a lot lately. She was becoming obviously suspicious.

"You said you would be here today and I thought-"

"Oliver what are you doing?" Katie asked and she saw the look of confusion as his brows furrowed. "I get there's this new you since you've been back, but you don't owe me anything. I'm sure there are more pressing things in your life then having to try and be my friend." Oliver thought him being there with her the day she found out about Jacob changed things between them. He felt the shift and he thought she did too. It had been a couple of days sense they'd actually seen each other, but he knew she'd be busy with things. She turned from him looking down to her cell phone, but he snatched it from her hand. "What-"

"There is a lot I can be doing now, but I'm here. Your father died and you need someone to keep you from falling apart." Katie shook her head before reaching out for her phone, only for him to keep it from her reach.

"I'm fine. People die and I guess it was just my dad's turn." she said the words stinging as they flew out of her mouth. She just shook her head before reaching out for her phone once again, but he was being annoying and not giving it to her. "You can't stop being someone's friend and then suddenly try to be their friend again." she was pushing him away again and he wasn't going to let her.

"Actually you can. I messed up and now I'm here, so why hell are you fighting this!"

"Because I do not trust you!" she snapped and the slight pain flashed in his eyes but it was gone before it came. "And you shouldn't trust me." she reached for her phone, but he once again pulled it away.

"Why not?"

"Because you changed Oliver and so did I. I'm the last person you should want to be friends with." Katie said and he looked at her for a moment wishing her to explain. She took his moment of distraction to snatch her phone from his hand and walk away. Oliver watched as she walked further and further away until she was out of sight. He let out a sigh before turning and stepping back into the car.

"That was good." Diggle said before pulling off.

"What about that was good?" Oliver asked turning to look out the window. "She doesn't trust me and I'm not sure she should."

"Yeah, but she also said that you shouldn't trust her." Diggle added and Oliver wasn't sure about the statement either. "She said she changed. Maybe you should figure out how?" Oliver turned to his wise friend before pulling out his cell phone and dialing a familiar number.

"Felicity, hey I need a favor." Oliver said only for the woman to ask when does he not need a favor. "True, but I need another one. I need you to find whatever you can on Katie's time with Doctor's Without Borders. I get the feeling it could explain some things."

Oliver didn't expect the information as quickly as it came, but then again it was always unwise to doubt Felicity's abilities. So when he and Diggle walked into the foundry and noticed the frown she wore, both were immediately interested.

"You said you got something." Oliver said and Felicity nodded spinning her chair back to her computers.

"Yeah, and you're not going to like it." Felicity said before typing a few keys and suddenly a picture appeared of Katie, the words, "MISSING" catching the archer's attention. "It would seem you and your old friend Twinkie have a lot in common after all." Oliver read the poster, his jaw clenching with every word he read.

"What is it?" Diggle asked coming to the other side of Felicity.

"She was kidnapped by extremists in Bosnia." Oliver said as he read over to poster. "It says here that her last known location was at a small village named Barimo where she was serving as a visiting physician treating victims of war. Witnesses say she was taken along with the rest of the nurses."

"I guess being kidnapped by Islamic extremists explains why she doesn't scare easy." Diggle said with a shake of his head. "They can be brutal." he looked over to Oliver whose gaze seemed to be fixed on the picture. "Oliver-"

"How long was she missing?" Oliver asked turning to Felicity. The woman typed a few keys before another file came up.

"According to the record of events help by DWB, she was MIA for about-" the woman's eyes widened when she read the number. "Three years." she turned to Oliver. "That was a year ago."

"A lot can happen in three years." Diggle says his eyes still on Oliver. It was the darkened look in the man's eyes that worried him. It was the look he gets before going out on a kill. "Oliver-" Before Diggle could even finish his sentence, Oliver was pulling back already headed for the stairs. "Where are you going?"

"She is going to talk to me." Oliver practically declared before running up the stairs. Diggle and Felicity shared a look of concern before turning back to the monitors.

"Yeah, that's going to blow up in his face." Diggle said with a shake of his head.

"I'm not sure." Felicity said turning back to the screen to the picture.

Katie stood in her living room with a look that would probably kill a weaker man, but for Malcolm Merlyn, it just made him smile. She walked in just minutes earlier to find him sitting on her couch holding a bouquet of white lilies.

"I'm sorry for just barging in like this, but I think we should talk." Malcolm said standing to his feet. He took a step toward her, but not too many. He didn't come here for a fight and knew with one wrong move he probably was going to get one and that wasn't in the plans for today. He held out the lilies to her. "These are for you. My condolences. I was sad to hear what happened to Jacob"

"I would tell you what you could do with those flowers, but since I'll probably be showing you soon, I find it might be a little redundant." Malcolm simply nodded dropping the flowers back to his side. "You do know that this is breaking and entering and if I call the police, you and your nice suit will be leaving here in handcuffs."

"You could do that, but I don't think you will. Whether you believe it or not, I do have you and your father's legacy's best intentions in mind. He was an invisible force in many business transactions, and now that he's gone there have to be some kind of arrangements. Which you don't have the capacity to complete."

"I just came from seeing my father's cold body before he's carted away to be dressed and spiffied up for his funeral, and now I'm here listening to you once again tell me how I should sign over all control of my father's assets to you. The one man in this entire world I know my father hated."

"You want to be noble and I applaud you for that Katherine, but you will fail if you try to take this up on your own." Malcolm said before sitting the flowers down on a nearby table. "Your father worked too hard for you to screw everything up." he left her with those words before moving past her and walking out the door. Katie stalked over snatching the flowers before heading to the door and tossing them out, only for them to land in front of someone else she wasn't itching to see.

"Just, why?" she asked looking over to Oliver who glance down to the bouquet of flowers before looking to her. "We did our show and dance today already. Let's just accept that me and you are just not those people anymore." she began closing the door.

"It won't work!" he yelled and despite the need to just close the door, she stopped. "You think pushing people away will help, but it won't. Trust me, I know."

"You know nothing Mr. Queen." she muttered, pushing the door closed, but before she could, Oliver ran up the stairs to stop her. "I don't want to do this. Why can't you just leave me alone? Nobody gets pushed this hard and stays."

"Well when I care about something, it takes an awful lot to walk away from it." Oliver said looking down to her eyes. No matter how much time had passed between them, no matter how much they had changed, their eyes were the same.

"Should I hit you in the balls, will that do it?" she asked before turning and walking into the house. Oliver took that as a sign that he had won this fight, but not the war which he was sure he would also win.

"No, but I'm sure it would hurt." Oliver said following behind her into the house. "So what was Malcolm Meryln doing here and why were you throwing flowers at him."

"They're evil given from someone just as evil." Katie said lying down on the couch in her living room and closing her eyes as she kicks off her shoes. "I'm going to have to talk to your mom pretty soon."

"She's says she's fine with handling all the funeral arrangements. Your family has been friends to Queens for a long time." Oliver said taking a seat on the couch beside her feet.

"Friends is a stretch, don't you think?" she asked with a sigh. She was still trying to push him away, and it was actually becoming laughable. Because here he was, not fazed one bit. A ridiculous thought popped in his head and because she was Twinkie and with her such thoughts weren't that ridiculous he just had to act on it.

"Are you still ticklish?" he asked out of the blue and Katie's eyes snapped open and looked over to see a mischievous look in his eyes. It was a look she wished she wasn't familiar with, but she was and she just knew he was about to do something incredibly stupid. Before she could pull away, Oliver grabbed one of her feet and began tickling the her soles causing her, against all the will power she thought she had, to erupt in a laughter she didn't even think she still had.

"Oliver! Oliver, stop!" he protests seemed to fit in between her laughter which didn't help them any. "I hate you so much!" " her laughing only encouraged him to continue until she finally pulled herself free. She sat up on the couch, pulling her knees to her chest and glaring over to the man. "That was very juvenile of you."

"See I'm not that different." Oliver said and Katie simply rolled her eyes before standing to her feet. "What was that look?" he followed her into the kitchen where he watched her open the refrigerator and look inside.

"That's the look you give a person whose full of shit." she muttered sticking her head in the refrigerator. "You know when I was a kid, food just magically appeared in this thing and now one minute I look in it's empty and the next minute it's still empty." she closed the fridge and turned to him. "So much for the food fairies." Oliver smiled as another opportunity arose for him to get closer. That's what he needed, more opportunities for her to open up and finally tell him what happened to her.

"You want grab something to eat?" he asked and she quirked an eyebrow at the request. "What, you're hungry, I'm hungry. Seems like a very appropriate question."

"We were friends-" she said making air quotes with the word friends. "Since we were in elementary school. You have never asked to publicly go anywhere with me in all those years. So excuse me for being just a little hesitant."

"You know if I had my leaf I'd show you that it's turned right now." Oliver said and Katie just shook her head. "Hey, free food. Who turns down free food?" she opened her mouth, but Oliver interrupted. "And no that wasn't a jab because you used to be-" he stopped as the right word seemed to elude him. "Full figured?" Katie smiled at him and he threw his fists in the air. "Another smile, that seals it. We're officially friends. Now lets eat."

Katie wanted to oppose but her stomach was seconds away from eating itself and so she sucked it up and decided to let Oliver Queen wine and dine her. When they walked through the doors of the establishment, the words wine and dine didn't come to mind.

"Big Belly Burger?" Katie asked as she slipped into one of the booths. Oliver slid across from her with a smile on his face. "Kind of low brow for you, is it? What would the press say if they caught you eating in such an establishment?"

"I really don't care." Oliver said as the waitress walked over. "Hey Carly."

"And he's a regular." Katie said crossing her arms over her chest as she looked over to him. Oliver Queen was being very unexpected and that's something she never thought would happen.

"You're bringing dates here now, Mr. Queen?" Carly asked smiling over to Katie. "I think my perception of you is changing everyday."

"You're not the only one." Katie said looking over to Oliver who just shook his head.

"Carly, this is Katie she's an old friend." Oliver said looking over Katie expecting some witty opposition to the introduction, but to his surprise there wasn't one. "Katie this is Carly, she's Diggle's sister in law."

"Nice to meet you." Katie said shaking the woman's hand.

"Nice to meet you too." Carly replied before looking back to Oliver. "I guess you do have friends other that John." she sat the menus on the table. "You guys look these over and I'll be back in a few to get your orders."

"Thanks Carly." Oliver replied as the woman turned to leave. He looked over to Katie who already had her menu up and reading it and so he did the same. "I called you my friend" he spoke after a while slightly glancing over his menu. "And you didn't argue."

"You're such a girl, you know that?" Katie said never looking up from her menu. "Will you just drop it?" she knew he wouldn't.

"I will." he said, but he really wasn't. "After you say it." she glared at him over her menu. "Just say it." she sat the menu down and folded her arms over her chest and he did the same. They sat like that for just a few moment before Katie slid from out the booth and climb to stand in her seat, gaining a couple of confused looks from the few patrons.

"Excuse me, can I have everyone's attention. Sorry to interrupt your meals, but in an attempt to have nice quiet meal, there is something I have to say." Katie said looking down to Oliver who was wearing an annoying grin. She turned back to the small crowd who looked at her like she was crazy and in all honesty maybe she was. "I, Katherine Robins, hereby declare that I accept Oliver Queens proposal to be my friend." she gave a small curtsy. "Thank you" and then she sat down and looked over to Oliver. "Are you happy now?"

"Almost." Oliver said before slipping out of the booth as well and standing in his seat. "Sorry for another interruption, but I too have an announcement. I'm am pleased that my dear Twinkie has accepted my proposal and I promise to never let anything tear our friendship apart, ever again." and with that he bowed slightly. "Thank you." before he too slid back into his seat and looked over to see her lips threatening to pull in a smile. "Now I'm happy?"

"Well at least I know you still have your dorky moments." Katie said with a shake of her head before picking up her menu.

"Well you've always loved my dorky moments." Oliver countered before picking up his menu as well, not missing the glance she sends to him before turning away.

They're meal was spent a relative silence that was broken ever so often will a little less awkward small talk. When they finished, Oliver drove her back home and walked her to her door.

"So this was nice." Oliver said and Katie looked over to him and nodded.

"Yeah, it was." she gave him a smile before turning about to open her door, when Oliver grabbed her arm. She stopped and turned back to him with a questioning look.

"If you ever need to talk, you know I'm here, right?" Oliver asked and Katie turned her body to face him. He looked into the unmoving features in her face, wanting nothing more than to know what she was thinking. She placed her hand above his heart, much like she did when she first saw him days before. "I'm really here." she met his eyes for a second before dropping her hand. He seemed to just know what she was thinking sometimes and that scared her.

"So am I." was all she said before turning and heading up the stairs to her door. She stopped before opening it, and turned back to him. "You know I read some interesting stuff on my new laptop about you being accused of being this hood guy." he simply smiled and nodded hoping she didn't see how unexpected that statement was.

"Yeah, Starling police at it's finest. But I'm sure you read that those accusations were proven wrong after the real vigilante was spotted while I was in police custody." Oliver said and Katie nodded.

"Yeah I did read that, but it made me think of that one story your dad used to tell." She said tapping her fingers to her lips as she thought. "Oh, the red herring story. I mean wouldn't it be wild that you really were the vigilante and the whole being captured and being accused was all part of some ploy to throw people off your scent." Oliver didn't say anything because he felt any lie that came out of his mouth at this point would be recognized instantly. By her anyways. His friend with the annoying knack of paying attention to the little details She took his silence as a sign that the whole talking about it thing was all one sided. "You can't know my secrets Liver, if I can't know yours and I'm actually fine with that. I can still be your friend and remain blissfully ignorant to the person you really are." In all honesty that was true. She understood the importance of secrets. How the wall that kept them hidden served the double purpose of allow her to stand. Oliver Queen not knowing all of her secrets was very much worth him not knowing hers. She turned to her door and unlocked it before stepping on the other side and falling back against it. She was only letting shit with no actual evidence fly out of her mouth. It's just when she stood there looking at this guy in a green hood, for some reason he made her think of Oliver. But he didn't refute her allegation and that simply only added to her suspicions. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone and decided to send him a text.

"Congratulations, you've been chosen to accompany me to my nightmare tomorrow. Don't be late."

She shook her head before climbing the stairs to begin her search for the outfit she would wear to say her final goodbye to her father.

Oliver found himself unable to move from that spot outside her door for a full minute after she left him standing there. When he came here, he had the full intention of finally getting her to open up to him and tell him what happened while she was overseas. It would seem that his intentions of getting to know her secrets were only getting her closer and closer to his own. It was that moment that Oliver Queen realized that maybe he was going about this the wrong way. How could he expect her to open up to him, if he wasn't willing to do the same?

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**An Unbeating Heart**

_"Wherever you go, go with all your heart"_

_-Confucius_

* * *

The next morning was as Katie expected. The day of a funeral seemed different then other days. Time moved slower. The air even seemed colder than usual as she prepared herself for something she expected. The day she was told her father had fallen into a coma, this day, this day she was sitting in right now, held a special corner in her mind. She knew it was coming, at some point in time, she just didn't expect to happen so suddenly. There should've been warning signs, or at least clues that it would happen now. She knew that's not how death worked. Death was a sadistic kind bitch that struck at the most sudden moments in time.

Katie sat, in her black dress that stopped at her knees. Befitting for a funeral, she thought when she spotted it in the store. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, not hair out of place as she stared out into the nothing in front of her. When the doorbell rang, she didn't move. Actually she couldn't move. It was this moment that she realized that the last thing she could do was say goodbye to last family she had. The bell rang again, and she remained frozen in the seat hoping that whoever it was would just go away and allow her to hide away. Those hopes were tarnished when she heard the door open and close before heavy footstep moved inside.

"Katie, are you-" it was Oliver and he stopped the moment he walked into the living room and found her just sitting there. He walked over and took the seat beside her.

"I don't want to go." she whispered unable to turn to him. "I think I should just stay here and not be there."

"You know when my dad died I felt-" Oliver felt the constricting of his throat as words he thought he could get away with not speaking forced their way out somehow. "I looked down to his body and I felt so alone." he turned and stared too at the nothingness in front of them. "I couldn't really even imagine a life without him being in it and there he was. He was right there and-"

"Gone at the same time." Katie said swallowing the lump in her throat. "You have Thea and your mom and I have-"

"Me." Oliver said quickly and she turned to him. He didn't bat an eye or show any regret for his words. His face held a certainty that left no room for doubt. "You have me and you'll always have me." he held out a hand to her and he watched her eyes look down to it for only a second before her small hand dropped into his grasp. "We will get through this together." Katie nodded as they both stood up and walked to the door. Once they stepped outside, Katie spotted the black car, Diggle standing awaiting for them.

"You brought your driver slash body guard?" she asked looking over to him. "Should I expect to make this trip in one piece?"

"Don't worry," he said with a smile. "I'll keep you safe." and with that they walked toward the car. "I hope this isn't terrible timing or anything, but I just have to ask." they stopped right beside the car and Oliver turned to her before looking down to her shoes. "Why the bright yellow shoes?" Katie followed his eyes to the yellow pumps that did seem completely out of place with her whole dark, and sad look.

"My dad used to tell the story of the first pair of shoes my mother allowed him to get me and the ones he chose were the brightest yellow shoes he'd ever seen." she mused bringing her eyes back to Oliver's to see the smile curling on his lips. "He said I was the light of his life and those shoes reminded him of that. I guess this my way of showing him that his light is not going out yet" Oliver simply nodded before opening the door an letting her inside. He glanced over to Diggle who simply smiled before walking around to get in the car.

When they arrived at the cemetery, Katie's eyes widened at the amount of people. She didn't expect this many people to be in appearance. She knew he father had friends, but they were mostly just business associates. Rarely were people invited to their home and she figured that they worked too much to actually make any friends.

"How much you want to bet most of the people here just want to know what I'm going to do with all his money?" Katie said as she stared out the window. "I'm probably going to hit someone today, so friend-" she turned to Oliver and nudged his shoulder slightly. "Play interference, would ya?"

"It would be my pleasure." Oliver replied before pushing open the door. He helped her out as well, deciding to keep her hand in his and to his satisfaction, she didn't pull away. To her satisfaction, everyone she came in contact with kept their words short and sweet. The only words muttered to her were deep condolences as she made her way to her seat. She only cringed when she spotted Malcolm Merlyn in a seat farther back, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses. Oliver felt her squeeze his hand and he brought his attention to her.

"You alright?" he asked and Katie glanced up to him and just nodded before turning to find her own seat. She sat with her eyes fixed on the cherry wood casket that was just a few feet away from her. The words the reverend was speaking wasn't quite making it to her ears. It was strange. She had seen death. Smelled the rank stench of it's aftermath and yet in this moment it stopped her. It actually made her stop and look at it. A hand touched her shoulder and she turned slightly to her left to see Oliver still standing at his post beside her. It was he who made her feel like she wasn't as alone as she thought.

"Would anyone like to say a few words about the departed?" the reverend asked and Katie rolled her eyes at the thought of anyone in this crowd daring to go up their and pretend they knew her father. None of them had the gall. "Ms. Robins?" all eyes fell on her and she looked up with wide eyes. She definitely hadn't planned on speaking. Her eyes turned to Oliver who simply gave her a nod. With shaky breath she stood to her feet and took only a couple of steps before stopping and looking over to the casket. She continued until she stood beside the large photograph of her father that she refused to look at before turning to the audience of people.

"Um-" she hated speaking in public. Especially standing in front of group of people who probably didn't even want to be here. "My dad was a good man, he-" her heart was ramming in her chest as her eyes rose once again to his casket. "No, my dad was a great man. He cared so much about everything he did and he never-" she turned back to the crowd who watched her closely. "He was who he was. Never pretending to be anyone other than himself. He will be greatly missed." she gave a nod before heading back to her seat. Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder as she sat down.

"Is there anyone else who would like to-"

Before the reverend could even finish his sentence, someone was already raising a hand "I think I'll say something." a familiar voice spoke and Katie's fist balled up the obituary in her hands as Malcolm Merlyn made his way to the podium. Katie let out a shaky breath before standing to her feet, knowingly gaining looks from the others, but she didn't care. She turned to Oliver.

"I think if I listen to whatever bullshit he's about say, I might just run up there and beat him to death with the wreath of flowers." Katie said before moving around him and heading anywhere but here. Oliver looked over to his mother and sister and gave them a nod before turning and running to catch up to her. He waved off Diggle, finding that maybe they should just be alone.

"You know for a woman wearing brightly colored high heels, you move very quickly." Oliver said appearing along side of her. "So I see you still don't like Tommy's dad?"

"I think it's his chin," Katie said looking over to him. "It's too perfect. Nobody with a chin that perfect is up to anything good." Oliver laughed knowing it went deeper than that, but figured at the moment he didn't see any sense in beating a dead horse. He snaked an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. She eyed the hand on her shoulder before looking up to him.

"Are we this type of friend yet?" she asked and he simply shrugged, but didn't move his hand and neither did she. They walked around the cemetery until the service was over and they all ended up back at the Queen mansion for the reception. Katie was glad Moira had taken the reigns on this whole thing because she doesn't think she could do it. Plan this and smile in the faces of people who she'd rather punch. Yes, Moira Queen was a god send.

She flitted in the shadows, hoping no one would pay attention to her as they conversed. Her eyes were ever so often drawn to the large photo of her father that sat in the corner of the room. He was wearing his favorite blue suit, with that awful tie she know he hated but wore because she got it for him.

"I feel the need to apologize." a voice said from beside her and she turned to see Tommy. "For my dad, I know you don't like him."

"It's his chin." Katie justified once again turning back to the photo. "There's something nefarious about it, I tell you." Tommy just laugh before grabbing a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray and handing it to her. "I don't think drunk Twinkie needs to make an appearance at this party."

"But I like drunk Twinkie," Tommy said holding the glass out to her. "She's funny and flirty and everything you're not." Katie swatted his arm before turning and walking away, only to bump into someone.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't-" she met the person's eyes and fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Sorry. Laurel, you're here." she didn't really dislike Laurel Lance per se. She didn't really know the woman. Her only contact came from the glimpses she'd catch of her and Oliver whenever she was home from school. They always looked annoyingly happy together and despite Katie telling herself to just get over it, her heart never did.

"Yeah, I thought I would give my condolences. I know we didn't know each other that well but there was rarely a time I didn't hear a story about Oliver's Twinkie." Laurel said and Katie simply bit her tongue to stop the automatic curse that was about to pass her lips. "I'm sorry for your loss." Katie simply gave the woman a grateful nod before moving around her in search of a good hiding spot.

"Hey!" Thea said stepping in front of her. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Oh to hide before I punch someone or use an embarrassing amount of profanity." Katie said before stepping around the woman and climbing up the stairs in search for sanctuary. It came in the form of Oliver's bedroom. That didn't seem to faze her as much as she thought it would. But at the moment she just needed a break and so she kicked off her heels and slid into the bed, letting out a deep breath before closing her eyes.

Oliver had been roaming around the house for a while looking for Katie when he bumped into Diggle.

"Hey, have you seen Katie?" Oliver asked scanning the room.

"No, but I doubt her or those shoes can stay hidden for long." Diggle replied looking around the crowd. "You know I think she was right. I've only talked to couple of people here and many of them didn't even know he had a daughter. This place is filled with sharks. People just worried about their stock options"

"Yeah, well I'm used to it by now." Oliver replied with a shrug. "Where's Felicity?"

"She's on her way. She got a hit on the cell phone the hit man called-"

"It's a burn phone, how could that help?" Oliver asked.

"Well she thought maybe if we could figure out when and where it was purchased we could find out who it belongs to."

"And?"

"Someone by the name of Martin Ellis." Diggle replied with a shrug. "Felicity's running everything she can on him and she should have something when she gets here."

"Well find me when she does." Oliver says before returning to his search for Katie. He felt like he'd been around the entire house twice. He spotted Tommy and Laurel and walked over. "Hey, have you guys seen Twinkie?"

"Yeah, earlier. I tried to get her wasted, but she turned me down." Tommy replied Oliver shook his head before looking over to Laurel.

"Yeah, same, except for the trying to get her drunk part. Last time I saw her she was talking to Thea." Laurel said. Oliver nodded before going in search of his sister. Thea was standing with a couple of her friends when Oliver walked over, light grabbing her elbow. "sorry, could I borrow you for a second?"

"Hey, what's up?" Thea asked.

"Have you seen Katie?"

"Yeah, she's hiding." Thea said glancing over to the staircase. "She went upstairs, not sure where she went up there though. " Oliver nodded with a sigh of relief. "Why, what's up?"

"Nothing, I just thought she was gone." Oliver said turning back to the look on his sister's face he didn't quite recognize. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just I've never seen this kind of concern when it came to Twinkie before." Thea said and Oliver didn't say anything. "Is it cause she isn't fat anymore?"

"Speedy, she wasn't-" Oliver just shook his head before walking away. Thea simply smiled at her retreating brother before going back over to her friends. Oliver headed for the staircase when it would seem another obstacle would get in his way.

"Oh, Ollie!" Laurel said walking in front of him causing him to stop. He could see the staircase, it was so close.

"Laurel, hey." Oliver said hoping he was masking his frustration. "What's up?"

"I haven't talked to you in a while and my father told me about the shooting downtown. Are you alright?" Laurel asked and Oliver smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he replied before making a slight step, but she placed a hand on his arm stopping him.

"I know a lots happening now, but if you need to talk-" Laurel stopped when Oliver gave her a look that she recognized even after all these years. He was annoyed and wanted her to stop talking. "I'm here, alright?"

"Thank you." Oliver said before leaning forward to press a kiss to her cheek before stepping around her to climb up the stairs. Once he reached the top of the stairs, he walked down the long hall, making a left at the first corner before finding his room. It was the only room she'd actually been to up there and he figured it would be the first place she'd hide out. He reached out and grabbed the door knob, but he didn't turn it. It finally hit him that maybe he should give her some time alone. He narrowed his eyes in thought before shaking it off and pushing open the door. There she was laying in his bed, staring up to the ceiling. The lights were off, but the curtain was open allowing the sun to shower over her in a way that made him stop and gasp. She must have heard him because she lifted her head, and her eyes widened slightly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come up here, I'll go" she began lifting from the bed, but Oliver quickly came over and just lied on the other side of her, reaching out and arm and pressing her pack to the bed.

"Don't be crazy, you can stay for as long as you like" Oliver replied. She gave him a sideways glance before turning back to look up to the ceiling. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just need a little quiet for a while." Katie sighed folding her hands over her stomach. "The people downstairs are strangers and I really don't think I should have to suffer through them smiling in my face and feeding me stories about my father." She looked over to see Oliver looking down to her. "I know I've become a cynical person since you were last here, but it happens." her eyes turned away from his to the safe place of the ceiling. They sat in relative silence, but it was comfortable and neither made any moves to leave.

"You know I think the last time we were in this room together was at the stupid dinner party." Oliver said suddenly and Katie laughed.

"Yeah, I was supposed to be looking for the bathroom, but in reality I sort of went exploring and got lost and you had to come and find me." Katie said with a shake of her head. "I don't even know how I ended up in your room, but I did and you had a tv and I really wanted to watch the-"

"Three Stooges Marathon!" they both say laughing.

"Yes I remember finding you up here sitting on the floor watching that show."

"And instead of carting me out of your cootie ridden boy lair you actually watched with me." Katie said still laughing. "That's when I realized you weren't that big of an idiot." Oliver chuckled looking over to her.

"Well I'm glad I past your Stooges test." Oliver replied and they once again fell into a silence.

"I'm glad you didn't try to kick me out. I think I would've had to use violence." Katie said laughing. Oliver looked over and smiled at the sound of her laughter. He hadn't heard it in a long time, but it was one of things he could never forget. It was in this moment did he remember one of the dreams he had while on the island. Many dreams had passed through his self conscious during those five years, but there was one he wouldn't forget. "You're thinking really loudly there, Liver" Oliver met her eyes and just shook his head before turning to look up to the ceiling.

"I was thinking about a dream I had once, while on the island." Oliver said and Katie watched him closely. How is jaw seemed to clench for a brief second at the mention on the island, but then it changed. His features soften as he continued to speak. "It was of you."

"Do I want to hear about this dream?" Katie asked and Oliver simply nudged her lightly. "What was it about?"

"We were watching a movie. I don't know what movie or whatever, but I know that you were sitting next to me and you were just laughing." he turned and looked over to her. "I mean I don't know at what or even if it was all that funny, but you couldn't stop." He shook his head and looked back up to the white ceiling. "And then I woke up."

"That's it?" Katie asked and Oliver nodded not meeting her questioning gaze. "Well that was a very boring dream." Oliver smiled and just shook his head, as he bit his tongue. If he wasn't who he was then he would tell her that dream kept him warm some nights on the island. He would tell her that there were moments he just wanted to give up and then he would hear it. The sound of her laughter and it just some how refuel the fire he had inside of him. "You think they're still down there?"

"It's only been about a half hour since they got here, so I'd guess it's probable" Oliver said looking over to her to see her blank gaze on the ceiling. "How are you doing?"

"How do I look like I'm doing?" she asked looking over to him with that unreadable expression that always confused the hell out of him.

"On the outside you look fine, but it's not the outside I was asking about" Oliver said and Katie turned away from his intense gaze unable bear the way they seemed to strip her away. "Katie?" he reached over and took her hand in his. "Talk to me."

"Why?" she asked suddenly. "Talking doesn't solve anything-doesn't change anything." she closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. "Talking is bullshit because words are worth nothing. Words can't make the pain go away. Words can't erase the-" Katie released a frustrated sigh before lifting herself up, prepared to leave, but Oliver didn't let go of her hand as he sat up as well. "I think I should go."

"Why, because you're finally letting go of all the shit you've got locked up inside of you?" Katie wouldn't turn to him. She couldn't look in his eyes.

"The shit I got locked inside of me would break you in half." Katie muttered with a shake of her head.

"Well I'm stronger than I look." Oliver replied and against her best judgment she turned to him. Her brow furrowed and he found himself wanting to know what she thinking. "Katie-" before he could even finish that sentence the door to his room pushed open and in walked Tommy.

"There you guys are, everyone's looking for you." Tommy said glancing between the serious expressions both Katie and Oliver wore and wondered if he had interrupted something. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah." Oliver said with a nod before looking over to Katie. "We're fine, just hiding out."

"Well thanks for leaving me." Tommy said walking over and sliding in the bed on the other side of Katie. Oliver and Katie looked over to the man who lied down, before they both did the same. "Laurel had to get back to work and I was left to the wolves and that includes Mrs. Walters." Oliver and Katie both laughed before looking over to Tommy.

"Oh Thomas!" Katie said her voice high pitched, to mimic the woman. "You remind me so much of my late husband." her and Oliver couldn't stop laughing. "With that perfect jaw!"

"You know you laugh, but that woman is grabby." Tommy said glaring over to her and Oliver. "I'm glad my pain can bring joy to your life."

"Oh, Tommy you know I love you." Katie said wrapping an arm around the man and placing a kiss on his cheek, and Oliver's laughter died down at the sight. It was still strange to see two people he remembered disliking each other, now seemingly best friends. There was a part of him that didn't know how he felt about that. Here he was breaking his back to get back into her good graces, and her she was practically best friends with Tommy, the guy she used to hate. He really didn't understand.

"You know I don't think I asked how the hell this happened?" Oliver asked pointing between the two and they both looked over to him.

"Well Twinkie here saved my life." Tommy said smiling over to her. "There was this big service for you and your dad and afterward I threw this party in your honor. It was epic and definitely Oliver Queen worthy or at least that's what I'm told. I was beyond plastered. The last thing I remember is holding a shot in my hand and then the next I'm lying on my back staring up to our Twinkie here."

"Alcohol poisoning." Katie replied with a shake of her head. "He blacked out and was unresponsive for a while. And me being fresh out of medical school and probably the only sober person at this party, I felt it was my moral obligation to keep this guy around. And ever sense, I have not been able to shake this son of a bitch." Tommy laughed and Katie just rolled her eyes at the man, but there was a small smile on her face.

"And you will never shake me." Tommy said before lifting himself slightly to look over to Oliver. "Oliver can no longer have your awesomeness to himself, you have to share her now." Oliver knew he was only joking, but his words still hit it strangely. Katie was his friend for so long, and he'd kind of gotten used to having her all to himself. Tommy lied back down and they all fell into a lulled silence.

"I'm sorry your dad's dead." Oliver said suddenly and Katie looked over to him. "I know how you feel about words, but know those are true." she nodded and gave him a smile.

"Well I'm sorry your dad's dead too." Katie replied giving his hand a squeeze.

"I'm sorry both of your dads are dead." Tommy added and both Oliver and Katie looked over to him and smile.

"And I'm sorry your dad's a dick." Katie said causing them all to roar in laughter.

It was maybe one or two hours later when they realized that they couldn't hide forever and decided to return back to the reception. It wasn't until they walked into the living room did they realize that everyone was gone.

"I thought it got quiet." Tommy said before looking down to his watch. "I should go, Laurel should be getting home soon." he brought Katie into a hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm here if you need anything."

"Thank you Tommy." Katie replied. He gave Oliver a wave before heading for the door. Katie turned to Oliver. "What do you think happened?" Oliver simply shrugged as he looked around to see the place nearly spotless. There was no sign that there was even a party there.

"I sent everyone home." a voice spoke from behind them and they turned to see Moira walking over to them. "I figured that this was for you and you seemed to have disappeared."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Queen, I just-" Moira held up her hands to stop her.

"No it's alright, I completely understand. After-" she looked over and smiled at her son. "I didn't want to talk to anyone, much less invite them into my house to eat and drink after I buried the loves of my life." she looked over to Katie. "I hid in our bedroom and didn't come out until it was over."

"Thank you Mrs. Queen-"

"You know after all this time I think you could call me Moira."

"Thank you Moira, for all of this. I can't even begin to tell you have grateful I am that you-" Katie bit her lip turning to look over to the large picture of her father that hadn't moved. "The only words in my head right now is 'he's gone'. I mean it's been days, but those two words are just-" she ran her fingers across her forehead before turning back to the woman. "When does it get better?"

"It doesn't get better, sweet heart. It does get easier to wake up every morning and not cry. And it gets easier to not break down because a familiar song filters into the room." Moira cleared her throat turning away slightly and Oliver reached over and took her hand and she smiled up to him. "It gets easier to live knowing he's not here." she looked over to Katie who smiled.

"Moira I know I've probably ran out of favors with you, but I just have one more." Katie said and Moira's brow furrowed glancing over to Oliver who looked as confused as she. "Ever since I've been back people have been telling me that I don't know anything about business and that I'm going to lose it all and ruin my father's legacy."

"Katherine-"

"They're right." Katie interrupted. "I loved my father, but when he would go on and on about the stock market or his latest business venture, I didn't really listen" Katie said before a smile tugged at his her lips. "I watched him though. The way his eyes seem to light up. The passion he had for it." she let out sigh as she turned away. "I don't have that passion." she nodded once again and turned back to Moira. "I would like to combine my father's interest with Queen Consolidated." Moira stood there dumbstruck. "I don't want his name on anything, because well he wouldn't want it to. I just, I want to be in control of his part of it. I don't want to lose him in all the bureaucracy that comes along with the business. My father worked hard for everything he had and I don't won't to tarnish his name by being foolish enough to try to continue his legacy."

"Your father's work wasn't his only legacy." Moira said reaching out to take her hand. Moira looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Ok, I will meet with the lawyers in the morning and I will have a contract drawn for your lawyers."

"Thank you." Katie smiled. Moira simply nodded before placing a gentle hand on the young woman's cheek.

"You have no idea how proud he was of you. How everyone he came in contact with had to hear at least one story of his Katherine. His daughter the doctor who was out saving lives." Moira chuckled with a shake of her head. "I don't think there is anything you could do that would make him stop being proud of you. Never forget that." Moira nodded before smiling over to her son before turning and leaving. Katie stood there trying to accept the woman's words but she couldn't. There were things she did. Things she knows her father wouldn't be proud of.

"You sure about this?" Oliver asked looking over to her and Katie nodded. She lifted her eyes to his and smiled brightly.

"I have never been more sure of anything in my whole life." Katie replied before reaching back and pulling her hair free from the bun and shaking out her hair. Oliver stood there for a moment watching her hair fall around her face. He had to force himself to turn away or she'd catch him staring. "I need to call a cab."

"You're not taking a cab." Oliver tells her and Katie turns a tired but annoyed gaze to him. "I will take you home." she didn't have the energy to argue so she just nodded. "I'll grab your jacket and-" his phone rang interrupting him. He slipped it out of his breast pocket, glancing down to the screen and sighing. "I have to take this."

"Oliver it's fine, I can take a cab." Katie said he held up a hand to stop her.

"Just give me a minute." he said before turning and walking out the room. Katie let out a long sigh before turning to face the picture of her father. She walked over to it and let her eyes take in every detail. She was afraid that it would be just like her mom. If it weren't for pictures she thinks she'd forget how her mother even looked. Her hand lifted and touched the smooth paper over his hand.

"Goodbye daddy." she whispered before turning from the picture and heading for the door. She really was an impatient person and waiting for Oliver Queen was something she promised herself she wouldn't do anymore. She grabbed her jacket and purse and stepped outside the door, hit with a the cold October wind. The moment it did her eyes drew closed as her mind saw it fit to tear her away from the present and shove her right back into past she'd been trying to forget.

_Her teeth chattered terribly and her body shook uncontrollably as she sat with a blindfold on her face, her hands tied behind her back. They'd been moving for a long time and now they were stopped. The others were sobbing and crying, probably from the cold or the fact that they were being kidnapped by traitors of war. Loud footsteps tore through the truck, moving closer and closer until someone grabbed a fist full of her shirt forcing her from her seat. They nearly dragged her and then tossed her on cold, hard dirt. She let out a slight groan, but tried quieting herself when she heard the muttering of foreign tongues speaking around her. Suddenly the blindfold was lifted from her eyes, and she had to blink a couple of times to get use to the unexpected bright lights that surrounded her."_

" _Do you know where are?" a female voice echoed around her. American, she recognized instantly. She was still freezing and nothing was quite making any kind of sense. "Dr. Robins, I asked you a question." Katie closed her eyes and just sank to the floor, curling her body up into the fetal position. Her body wasn't going to hang on much longer and she could feel it with every labored breath she took. She soon heard and felt the vibrations of foot steps, many footsteps nearing her, but she didn't move or twitch. She was way past fear because at this point she doesn't think she has the energy to be afraid. A face appeared in front of her, but her eye sight was blurring. Dehydration and below zero temperatures were taking tolls on her body and the fact that it was slowly shutting down wasn't a surprise. "Dr. Robins do you know where you are?"_

" _Hell." Katie managed through a rough throat and dried lips before once again blacking out._

A hand touched Katie's shoulder, and she flinched suddenly about to stumble down the steps off the porch, but an arm caught her around the waist. She turned to see Oliver who held onto her tightly.

"You're alright." he assured her as he looked at her and saw something he rarely saw in her. He could see what she was feeling. Her eyes were glistening, but there were no tears. Her face seemed to be twitching as if she was trying her best to give into the emotion. "I'm here." she looked into his eyes and could feel herself breaking so she jerked out of his grasp and turned and stalked away. "Katie!" he skipped down the stairs chasing after her. "Wait!"

"I'm fine, I can just walk. It's not that far" she called over her shoulder, never stopping.

"It's freezing!" he called running to catch her. He ran up, finally catching up to her fast pace as she walked down the middle of the street. "I will drive you home."

" I don't need you to drive me home Oliver." she muttered not even glancing his way. She walked with her arms wrapped around herself. "You got a call. No one calls this late unless they need something. If you need to be somewhere else, just go."

"I need to be here, with you." Oliver said and Katie glanced over to him. She tried her best not to look at him. Not to get sucked back into the Oliver Queen orbit, but she didn't expect him to say things like that. Things she only dreamed he would say. It confused her. Lights illuminated from behind them and they turned to see headlights speeding their way. She glanced over to Oliver who seemed to straighten as he reached out an arm and quickly grabbed her.

"Oliver, what-" before she could even get out a full sentence, her and Oliver were diving into the ground to dodge the car. "Oliver!" he was on top of her but he lifted himself, slightly, only slight enough to look into her eyes, a hand coming to her face.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" he asked frantically when the car's tires came to a screeching stop. His head shot up and without a second though he jumped to his feet, before scooping Katie into his arms.

"Oliver, what's happening?" was all she was able to say before bullets started flying their way. Katie wrapped her arms around Oliver's neck as he ran trying to distant them from the bullets, but they seemed to be all around her. "Oliver, just put me down. I can run." he didn't answer her or even give a hint that he was listening. He just kept moving, kept going. His eyes were forward, but he seemed aware of everything that was happening all around him. Katie held onto him tight, when she suddenly felt something wet and sticky beneath her finger. She dropped her head to her fingers to see the red blood now stained on her hand. "Oliver, stop." she pulled back, but he didn't allow for much movement. Bullets were still flying, and she wasn't sure how far he was going to get with this wound that seemed to be gushing at this point. "Oliver, you can't-" a van came screeching to a halt in front of them and Katie turned just as the side door slid open and the face of John Diggle appeared. Oliver nearly jumped in the van before it was speeding off. They were now sitting in the van and Oliver's arms around her never loosened.

"Are you guys alright?" Diggle asked and neither Katie nor Oliver said a word as they simply sat there staring at each other. "Guys-"

"We need to get to a hospital." Katie said finally breaking the contact from Oliver to look at Diggle. "He's been shot and it looks like it him an artery. It's bleeding profusely. We need to get to a hospital."

"Did she say he was shot!" a female voice shrieked from the driver's seat. "Oh my God, Oliver!"

"Look, we just need-" she turned back to Oliver whose eyes were drifting closed. "Hey-" she placed her hands on the sides of his face and lifted his eyes to see hers. "You need to stay with me, ok?"

"Twinkie..." he muttered and Katie smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm here and you need to be here too." she said before turning. "Why the fuck aren't we at that hospital yet!" the van stopped and Katie let out a sigh of relief before turning back to Oliver. "It's alright. You're going to be fine." she dropped her forehead to rest against his,, closing her eyes. "You have to be fine." The side door slid open and Katie turned to see the wide eyed look of a blonde woman, who wore square brimmed glasses. Katie looked beyond the woman to see they weren't at the hospital. "Where-" she looked over to Diggle. "This isn't a hospital, he needs a hospital."

"We can't go to a hospital." Diggle said and her face fell into a glare that would probably break a weaker man.

"I'm sorry, what-" Oliver moaned and she turned back to him. "Oliver, you stay with me, ok?" she turned back to Diggle.

"We need to get him inside." Diggle said moving over to her and Oliver. She had to pull herself from his grasp that seemed strong even in his current state. Diggle threw one of Oliver arms over his shoulder while Katie took the other side and they both carried him out of the van. Katie looked up to the large warehouse building.

"Where are we?" she asked looking over to Diggle who just shook his head. The moment they walked in, the lights flickered on. The blonde woman quickly ran over and pushed over a metal table. Katie and Diggle lowered Oliver onto it before he and the woman looked over to her. "Why aren't we taking him to a hospital?" she asked again looking around some sort of basement that was filled with computers and arrows and other things that shouldn't be in a basement. She had many questions, but that one was at the top of her list. That was going to get answered.

"Look, I'll explain everything later." Diggle said stripping off his jacket before looking down to Oliver. "Right now, I need to-" Diggle reached down to touch Oliver but Katie jerked forward and pushed him out of the way. "What are you doing?"

"No, what the hell are you doing?!" she snapped as she looked between him and Oliver. She took a step forward, placing herself between him and Oliver.

"He needs help!"

"Yes medical help!" Katie snapped looking back over to the man. "Do you have a medical degree?"

"No, but you do!" Diggle snapped right back in frustration. "Are you going to stand there and ask more questions or are you going to do something about this." Katie stood there for a moment trying to find a way to wrap her heard around this moment. It only took her five seconds to realize that wasn't going to happen. She looked down to Oliver who was still bleeding and he didn't have time for her to be ok. She stripped off her jacket letting it fall to the floor.

"Do you have medical supplies?" Katie asked and Diggle and the woman began moving quickly around her. She walked over to Oliver and looked around before spotting a pair of scissors. At this point she stopped thinking and just let her instincts take over. She snatched the scissors from the table and began cutting his white dress shirt, pulling it from his body. His body was covered in scars that she would ignore for the moment. She placed a hand over his chest.

"Shit!" she snapped and Diggle and the woman rushed over dumping medical supplies near her.

"What's wrong?" the woman asked and Katie only glanced up to her for a second before spotting a box of gloves.

"The bullet is still inside of him." Katie said pulled the box of gloves near her. "I have to get it out."

"Look I had some medical training in the army. I can help" Diggle said and Katie glanced over to him. "How can I help?" Katie looked over to the table of the supplies they brought her before looking around the basement. There was another table, much like the one Oliver was on.

"Ok, can you administer a morphine drip?" Katie asked and Diggle nodded. "Alright, I need you to hook him up, because this is going to hurt like a bitch and he's not going to want to feel it. Also hook up that heart monitor there. " Diggle nodded and dove right in. Katie looked over to the woman who was standing waiting for some kind of direction. "What's your name?"

"Felicity." the woman said glancing over to Oliver with worried eyes before turning back to Katie. "Felicity Smoak, how can I help?"

"You see that table over there?" Katie asked pointing to the table over in the corner. Felicity followed her line of sight and nodded. "Me and you are going to move it right beside Oliver."

"Why?" Felicity asked turning back to the woman.

"Because we're going to have to roll him over and this will make it easier." Katie said and Felicity nodded before both women ran over to move the table so that it was right beside him.

"I'm done" Diggle announced before turning to Katie. "Now what?"

"Felicity I need you to make sure every medical instrument you have here is sanitized and lined up on that table there." Katie ordered and the woman rushed off. She turned to Diggle. "Put on a pair of gloves." Diggle nodded before grabbing a pair of gloves and Katie did the same. "You're going to help me flip him over. "Wait, a pillow or something, for his head?" Diggle went over to a cabinet and pulled out a small white pillow and sat it on the table. "Ok, you grab that side and I'll grab this one and on my count-" they both went to their positions. "Ok, 1...2...3" they quickly flipped Oliver over carefully tilting his face on the pillow. The wound was still bleeding and Katie quickly grabbed some gauze to stop it. "John, are you familiar with those instruments?" Diggle nodded a yes as he looked over to the tray Felicity had set up. "Good, when I ask for one, you hand it to me. Do not hesitate, do not pause, just do it, understand?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." Katie said looking down to the blood stained gauze. "He's going to need blood."

"We have blood." Diggle said and Katie lifting her eyes to him obviously not expecting that. Hell, she hadn't expected any of this.

"Oh, I'm going to have so many questions when this is all over." Katie muttered. She focused on the sound of the heart monitor, taking note of every beat and vowing in that moment that she wasn't going to let them stop. She took a deep breath as she looked down to Oliver, and held out her hand to Diggle. "Hand me the ten blade."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**An Unwanted Hero**

_"A hero is one who knows to hang on one minute longer."_

_-Novalis_

* * *

Pain is a cruel and unrelenting. Pain was the first signal to his brain when Oliver came to. It seemed to pulsate through his whole body, but much of it rested on his upper shoulder. He let out a groan before opening his eyes to find that he was lying on a pillow.

"You're alright." a familiar voice assured suddenly startling him. Oliver turned his head to look up to Diggle who was standing above him. "You were shot, but you're fine."

"Katie-" Oliver said suddenly lifting himself as memories of the days events seemed to come flooding back to him all at once. He remembers the car and then the gun shots. Katie was in his arms, she was safe, because he had her and now, now she was nowhere in sight. He ground his teeth at the pain as he reached over a hand to press against the bandage on his back. "Where is she?" Diggle simply nodded his head behind Oliver and the man turned to see her curled up in one of the chairs asleep. "Is she alright?"

"More or less. She has questions, but I figure you already knew she would" Oliver turned back to the man hearing a tone in the man's words. "You know if you were going to reveal this secret to her you could've given us some warning."

"It's my secret-"

"It hasn't just been your secret for a long time now Oliver." Diggle countered and Oliver turned back to the woman. "We should've at least been able to give some input." Diggle looked over to the woman as well. "She told you not to trust her, and you showed her your biggest secret. This could all blow up in your face."

"It won't." Oliver stated sliding off the table, grimacing at the sharp pain in his shoulder. "Why does this hurt more than it usually does?" he looked over to Diggle who just sighed.

"The bullet you were shot with didn't come out the other side." Diggle replied before glancing over to Katie. "Good thing you're friends with a doctor. We got to witness our own little fucked up surgery, right here." Oliver simply nodded before grabbing a t-shirt that lied nearby. "I wouldn't-" Oliver didn't listen as he lifted his arm to put on the t-shirt. Diggle figured it was painful, but this was Oliver. Pain seemed to be his middle name. "Alright, suit yourself. Did you get a look at the shooters?"

"No, there was no time. We were too open and I needed to get her out of there" Oliver replied as he stood to his feet. "Where's Felicity?"as if on cue the woman's footsteps were heard rushing in, and soon she appeared holding bags of food that she sat down where ever before rushing over to him.

"Are you alright?" Felicity asked looking him over with concern. "Should you be up, she said you're not supposed to move for a while."

"I'm fine." Oliver said placing a hand over his shoulder. "Martin Ellis, what do we have on him?" Felicity's brow furrowed as she looked over to Diggle who shrugged.

"You were shot. You nearly bled to death in front of us and you don't think that warrants a breather?"

"I don't have time for a breather." Oliver said walking around the woman over to the computers. "Whoever is after her has failed twice, usually on the third time they make sure that doesn't happen." he looked over to Felicity who hadn't moved. She stared at him for a moment before stalking over to her chair where sat before typing away.

"Fine, I've found out some interesting things about Martin Ellis and you won't believe this, but he works for you." Felicity said bringing up the man's file. "Or at least he used to. He was a liason between your father and Katie's father. Once Jacob fell into the coma, Ellis was out of a job."

"You know I think I remember him." Oliver said leaning into the picture. The man's face seemed familiar. "I must have seen him around the company or at a party or something. He seemed harmless."

"Yeah, but the never ending theme in our lives is people change. Maybe Ellis is holding a grudge. I mean since he lost his job, no one will hire him. Your father made sure of it." Felicity said before typing a few keys and another screen appeared. "According to this before Ellis' termination he was forced to sign a non compete agreement, and then there's the fact that all former employees of QC are seen as tainted meat" Felicity looked up to Oliver's frown. "I didn't mean-what I'm trying to say is that in this job market, competition and loyalties are everything and nobody wants the former secret keeper, because nobody fires they're secret keeper. There were too many question marks around Martin and because of it, he lost everything."

"And now that Jacob's dead, Martin's trying to take his revenge out on his daughter?" Diggle asked with a shake of his head. "Doesn't make sense. You want to hurt someone, you hurt them. If he really wanted to hurt Jacob he would've had to do it while he was alive. No one suffers because of her death."

"His company does." Oliver replied standing up straight. "If Katie is killed and all of her father's assets are thrown into limbo, they'll be dissected and exploited until nothing is left. Jacob's work was his life and if Ellis can some how find a way to destroy that, then that could be the ultimate revenge."

"I still don't buy it. The best part of revenge is the look on the person's face when you give it. I think there's another motive here, we're missing something." Diggle said and a gasp caused them all to turn. They looked over to Katie who quickly stood from her seat, her eyes on the table Oliver was lying on, but was now empty.

"Katie?" Oliver said and she turned to him her eyes wide, not expecting to see him up and walking around when not even three hours earlier, he fingers were digging out a bullet from his shoulder. "I'm fine-"

"You shouldn't be standing, and you definitely should be moving around." She shook her head before storming over to him. "Did you put this shirt on?" she huffed in frustration. "I literally just closed you up, you can't-" Oliver placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her.

"I'm fine. This isn' t the first time I've been shot." Oliver said and her eyes looked to his for a moment before she turned away and pulled from his grasp. "I know you're confused about all of this and I will answer any questions you have."

"Actually I don't" Katie replied turning and walking over to pick up her jacket. "I don't have any question. I think I get the gist. You have some Robin Hood fetish, it's weird as shit, but hey who am I to judge." she wasn't alright with this, and Oliver knew it.

"Look where you're standing." Oliver said and Katie stopped and looked around. She'd been snooping around when he was out, looking at all the weapons and the equipment. She knew where she was standing. The vigilante's lair. "I know you and I know you have questions."

"You don't know me, because if you did then you'd know this-" she said gesturing to the room. "I don't care about this. You want to dress up like the uni-bomber and shoot arrows at people then be my guest." she grabbed her purse and headed for the door, but Oliver moved quicker to block her. "I'm not going to tell you my secrets, just because you're telling me yours."

"That's not what this is." Oliver replied reaching out to grab her hand, but she pulled away. That's what he was witnessing, her pulling away. "I brought you here-"

"No you almost died and your friends had to bring me here. It was either letting you die or revealing your secret and your friends chose your life!" she snapped taking a step to move around him, but he moved with her. He wasn't going to make walking away easy for her.

"You think that's why you're here?" Oliver asked and Katie just shook her head with a roll of her eyes. "The call I got back at the house, it was from Felicity. She got a hit while monitoring the phone activity of a man named Martin Ellis. She intercepted a call and found out there was going to be another hit. Whoever was in that car was waiting for you, so I told Diggle and Felicity to meet us so we could bring you back here. If I'm going to help you then I'm going to help you and I can't do that trying to be Oliver and the hood with you. It just won't work."

"It doesn't have to." Katie said turning back to him. "I am going to solve this problem, once and for all." she made to move around him, this time he caught her arm. He stared into her eyes searching for what she wasn't saying. "I am going to make this better."

"You're not leaving Starling." he practically ordered suddenly knowing that their minds always seemed to be on the same wavelength and if he were in her position, leaving would be on the list of things to do. "There is no reason for you to leave, I can-"

"What, protect me!" Katie snapped jerking from his grasp. "Oliver I have a reason to leave. My reason is that slug I pulled out of your shoulder." she took a step toward him, bringing her impossibly close to him so she could look directly into his eyes. "If bullets are going to be flying at me, then they're going to be flying at me, not-" her hands clenched into fists. "You were hurt because of me and I won't let that happen again, so I'm going to take the source of all this bullshit out of the equation and I'm leaving." she walked around him, heading for the door when suddenly an arm wrapped around her waist. She was turned and tossed over his shoulder. "What the fuck are you doing?! Put me down before you tear your stitches!"

"Diggle, zip ties please." Oliver said. Diggle looked at him for a moment like he was crazy before looking over to Felicity who shared his expressions. "Digg!"

After a lot of struggle, Oliver finally got her sitting down long enough to tie her wrists and ankles to the chair.

"What, no blindfold this time!" she yelled, but he was ignoring her as he, Diggle and Felicity stood on the other side of the foundry. "When I get out of this chair, I'm going to kick your ass!"

"I didn't know we forced help onto people now?" Diggle asked glancing over to Katie before looking to Oliver. "Oliver I know she's your friend, but she's not saying something and you can't fix this if you don't know everything."

"Like you said a lot can happen in two years and I'm getting the feeling that something happened to her. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's connected to Ellis." Oliver replied. "Right now we have one lead and I'm going to follow it."

"What about your arm?" Felicity asked knowing that going around shooting people with arrows wasn't something one should do after getting a bullet pulled out of his shoulder.

"My shoulder is fine." Oliver said and just the mention of it, seemed to cause a sharp pain. "I'll just take some lidocaine, and I won't feel a thing." Diggle and Felicity just shook their head at the man, but knew that there was nothing they could do about it. He held determination on his face and there was nothing they could say to change his mind.

"I am going to stick an arrow so far up your-"

"Hey!" Oliver yelled as he stalked over to her. "You can save your breath. I'm going to help you and there's no amount of your annoying ass ranting that will stop me." he stormed off past her to change.

Once Oliver was changed, he and Diggle went out to find Ellis, leaving Felicity to babysit Katie. It wasn't much of babysitting since Felicity spent most of her time looking down to the computers monitoring Oliver and Diggle. She would glanced over her shoulder now and then, but Katie's head was dropped with her eyes closed.

"He wants to help you." Felicity said not looking back to the woman. She stared at the screen so she couldn't see the woman's judgmental gaze as she spoke. "You shouldn't fault him for that."

"I don't fault him for wanting to save me." Katie replied lifting her eyes to the back of the woman's head. "I fault him for not realizing that he can't save me." Felicity spun her chair around at the woman's words. "You kill one hit man and another pops up in his place. That's how it works right. Sooner or later if me dead is what somebody wants then it's going to happen and he can't change that." Felicity was used to the tortured soul that was Oliver Queen, but she was not used to seeing in other people.

"What happened to you?" Felicity asked suddenly and she didn't really mean to say the words out loud, but now they were out and waiting to be answered.

"I died." Katie said her head dropping once again. "I died and now he's trying to save me. He's too late. He's always too late." Felicity didn't say anything. There weren't really any right words to counter such a sentiment.

The room fell into silence, as Katie sat tied to a chair and Felicity sat trying to watch Oliver and Diggle's back.

"I have to pee." Katie said suddenly and Felicity lifted her head and looked over to her. "Did Oliver tell you how to handle such a situation?"

"Uh-" Felicity stammered holding up a finger before turning back to the computers.  
"Oliver, she says she has to pee, what do I do?"

"Felicity do not go near her. Tell her to hold it." Oliver ordered and Felicity frowned. "Felicity?"

"I get what you're saying, but I'm not the person who should be doing this." Felicity whispered. "She's not a prisoner and she hasn't done anything wrong, and now you're telling me that I can't let her do something as simple as using the bathroom."

"Felicity-"

"No, Oliver." Felicity snapped. "You can't control every detail of every situation and you can't afford to lose her." she doesn't know why she said it. It was just that ever since Katie's name was first mentioned she noticed a change in Oliver. A slight shift in focus. He found himself telling stories about his Twinkie, and ever so often he would smile at a thought, or a memory, something he didn't do all that often. "You can't control if she stays or leaves. You can try to save her life, but that's about it." Felicity removed the ear piece from her ear and walked over to stand in front of Katie. "Do you know why you're here?" Katie looked at the woman with a furrowed brow. "Right here, in this foundry, right now?"

"No, but I have a feeling that you are going to tell me." Katie said meeting the woman's determined gaze. Felicity grabbed another chair and moved it so she could sit directly in front of the woman.

"You're here because he trusts you. You're here because your life matters to him. If it doesn't matter to you, then know that it matters to him." Felicity shook her head because she didn't know how she got into this situation. She glanced down to her hot pink heels and Katie followed her gaze" These are seven inch Louboutin knock offs and they're made to make my feet hurt and look pretty at the same time." she met Katie's eyes once again. "They're not made for running, so I will untie you and if you run, I won't stop you. Just know that if you run, it doesn't change anything. Running rarely solves anything." The woman grabbed a pair of scissors and walked behind the woman and cut the zip ties around her wrists. She held out the scissors to her, and Katie took them gratefully before reaching down to cut the ties on her ankles. "The bathroom is back there." Felicity pointed to a door on the other side of the room before walking back to her computers. Katie sat there for a moment, her eyes glancing over to the door marked exit. It would be simple, but then her eyes went to the woman and she realized that the hold Oliver Queen had over her wasn't just a faint memory. So Katie stood to her feet, turned and headed for the bathroom. Felicity looked over her shoulder slightly, and smiled.

"She's going to the bathroom." Felicity whispered before turning back to the computer. "Told you, words can be very effective."

"Just watch yourself Felicity." Oliver replied.

"What have you guys found?" Felicity asked seeing that they had already arrived.

"Nothing." Oliver said. "There's no sign of anyone living here in a while. We're going to look around and then we're going to head back."

"See you then." Felicity said pulling the ear piece from her ear and standing to her feet. She turned and was startled to see Katie standing right behind her. "Uh, they didn't find anything."

"Of course they didn't." Katie said looking down to the monitor. "Martin Ellis is dead." Felicity wasn't sure if she was joking or what. Katie looked up to her to see the look of confusion. "Dead as in lack of a pulse, heart has stopped beating-"

"I know what dead means, I'm just confused about where this information came from. How do you know?"

"Trust me, I know." Katie replied as she looked back down to the computer. "What you need to find out is how a burn phone was bought with the credit card of a dead man."

"And how am I-" Felicity stopped, her head tilting as something hit her. Katie watched as the woman dropped in her seat and began typing away. "I can't believe I didn't think of this before."

"Think of what?" Katie asked hovering over the woman's shoulder trying to see what she was doing.

"I'm going to track the purchases made with the card. Maybe if I'm lucky-" A smiled crept up on the woman's face. "Yes!"

"What?"

"The card was used at an ATM machine off of Chestnut and guess what all ATM machines are equipped with per security guidelines and-"

"I get it." Katie interrupted the woman before she got too technical. "Whoever is out there spending a dead man's money used an ATM and you can now pull up his face." Felicity typed a few more keys and a distorted image appeared. "Can you clean that up?"

"Hi, I'm Felicity Smoak, MIT class of '09." the woman said proud typing a few more keys and soon the image became clearer and clearer in just a few seconds and the moment it was Katie's eyes darkened. Felicity saw the look in her eyes. "Do you know him?"

"I thought I did." she replied before standing up straight and letting her eyes roam around the foundry. "Does Oliver own any weapons beside arrows?" Katie went off in search, but Felicity jumped to her feet after her.

When Oliver and Diggle returned they found the two women huddled together, in what looked like a very serious conversation.

"I don't care!" Katie snapped walking around the woman only to come face to face with Oliver. "Seriously?" she rolled her eyes before trying to move around him, but her grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. "You're a real dick, you know that?"

"So I've been told." Oliver replied as he and Diggle walked over to Felicity. "What's going on?"

"I know why Mr. Ellis wasn't anywhere to be found." Felicity said glancing over to Katie. "Apparently he's dead."

"How do you know?" Diggle asked and Felicity just stared at Katie, causing both men to turn to her.

"Katie?" Oliver said pulling her arm so she would turn to them. "Talk!" she glared at him before pulling from his grasp.

"Martin Ellis was shot in the head. I know this because I saw it with my own eyes." she replied. They stared at her waiting for her to continue, but she simply shrugged.

"Care to share some more details? There's still a who, what, when and why you haven't touched on" Diggle said and Katie shook her head and the man turned to Oliver. "Oliver, maybe you should have a conversation with your friend."

"Good idea." Oliver said before grabbing Katie's arm and pulling her toward the stairs. They walked up until they were standing in the warehouse that looked like it was under construction.

"Seriously, where the hell are we?" Katie asked lifting her eyes to light fixtures that were being installed. Oliver turned her to face him, finally giving her a good look at the face underneath the hood. At the moment he looked pissed.

"If I'm going to help you, then you're going to have to talk to me." Oliver said and Katie let out a frustrated breath. "Why the hell are you being so damn stubborn about this!?" She turned her back to him and he let a frustrated sigh. "Do you want to go? If you want to go out there and you want to handle this yourself, then be my guest." she turned back to him. "I've apologized and I've done everything I know how to show you that you can trust me. Hell I'm standing here showing you the biggest secret I have and yet you give me nothing." he shook his head and headed back to the stairs of the foundry. "I'm done."

Could she really do this alone? That was the question that hit her the moment those two words came out of Oliver's mouth. She knew the answer. She didn't like the answer, but she knew it.

"He wasn't destitute and poor like your friend downstairs says." Katie said and Oliver stopped walking. "Sure, his bank accounts were empty and from the outside looking in, Martin Ellis was sad, sad man, but the opposite is true." Katie turned back to Oliver who stood staring at her, waiting for her to continue. "He worked for my father, even while he was in the coma. No one knew because my father had become a very paranoid man before the coma. He trusted Martin. So much so that he named him the executor of his estate in the event something happened to him."

"I don't understand" Oliver said walking over to her. "If no one knew then why is he dead right now?"

"Martin is dead because he was very dedicated man. He practically idolized my father, and would do anything for him. Even try to save his daughter." Katie said turning away.

"Katie-"

"I saw the files on Felicity's computer. I know you know what happened to me" she turned back to see the look in his eyes that she really didn't want to see. It was pity and she didn't need pity. She didn't need or want him to feel sorry for her. She was fine. Really. "DWB contacted him and informed him of my kidnapping and he thought that he could help. He was in control of all my father's money and knew that if my father wasn't in a coma then there was one thing he would do."

"He came to Bosnia?" Oliver asked and Katie nodded.

"He thought he could pay off the kidnappers, but all he did was put himself in harms way." Katie replied swallowing the lump in her throat. "I remember when I saw him. He looked so scared, so-" she shook her head. "And they just shot him, right there, right in front of me." her fists clenched at her side and she turned away from him. The sudden urge to hit something was becoming too much and if she wasn't careful she would lose control. "Ellis isn't the guy, but Felicity found out who is." she turned back to Oliver whose brow furrowed in confusion. "And you've actually met him."

Dr. Michael Trent walked through the door of his penthouse just as he always did after a long days work. He dropped his keys in the bowl by the door, dropped his bag before flicking on the light and stopping right in his tracks when he sees someone he didn't expect sitting on his couch.

"Katie, how did you-" he looked around his penthouse. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"You know I find it hard to believe that you are the mastermind behind this." she said ignoring his questions. "I mean Mike, you've been there from day one. You made me promises that one day my dad was going to walk out of that hospital." she shook her head. "I mean you even had me fooled enough to sleep with you."

"Katie, what are you talking about?" he walked in closer to her.

"Were you aware that a man whose job is to kill people for money was hired to kill me?" she asked and he stopped moving. "Tell me Mike, how did that guy lead me here?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mike said quickly before turning and heading for his door. "I think you should leave before I call-" he pulled open the door and stumbled back at the sighed of the hooded figure in front of him. "What the hell?" Oliver stepped inside and Mike continued to back away.

"Mike why did you send someone to kill me?" Katie's voice said right behind him causing him to whirl around to see her now standing very close. "It makes no sense, I mean you're the one who left me." he shook his head as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry." he said before turning back to Oliver. "They will kill me."

"Right now-" Oliver's distorted voice growled as he pulled out his bow and arrow, pointing it right at the man. "I'm the one you should be worried about. Now speak!"

"I wish I could." Mike said turning back to Katie before lifting his eyes to something over her shoulder. His eyes widened when a sudden red dot appeared on his forehead. He had no time to run, or scream. Before he could even blink a bullet was in his brain and everything after that seems to slow down. Katie couldn't take her eyes off of him as he stands there for a full second after he is hit, his eyes open still alive. Then he drops to his knees with a thud, and she can see the life leaving him. She lifts her head to the window, the bullet size hole in it, a red light still reflecting off of it. Her eyes fall to her chest to see the red dot right about her heart and she doesn't move. She can feel it with every beam in her body that this is it, that it will all be over and then an arm wraps around her waist and pulls her with a force enough to take her off her feet. It didn't take her long to realize what was happening and so she finally snapped back to reality.

"I got it!" she yelled and Oliver looked over to her before releasing his grasp around her waist, only to take hold of her hand as the ran out of the penthouse.

It was the early parts of the morning and Katie sat on the steps of the foundry trying and failing to piece together the events of the previous night. Diggle and Felicity had long returned home, and she and Oliver remained there. She heard his footsteps before actually seeing him. When she lifted her eyes she saw him, changed from his vigilante costume and now just wearing a black t-shirt and jeans and looking like Oliver.

"This isn't the end." Katie said standing to her feet in front of him. She was only up a few steps, helping her to be eye to eye with him.

"I know." Oliver said.

"I have to leave Starling." Katie replied and he turned away from her. "Oliver-"

"It won't end there either." he stated with a shake of his head. "Problems don't just disappear because you run from them."

"And they can't be solved if you have no starting point. Our only lead was Mike and now he's dead and we're back at square one. I just-" she shook her head before stalking down the stairs past him. "I didn't plan on staying here any way. I came here for my father and now-" she let out a shaky breath as realization flooded her. "Now he's gone." she met Oliver's eyes, but not for long. They were still too intense and she couldn't take that. Not now. Not when the resolve she was grasping for dear life seemed to be fleeting her. "Everything started going to shit the moment I came here, so maybe-"

"I need you here." Oliver spoke suddenly and she had to look at him. Had to be sure that he actually said those words. "I need you right here, in this city so I know that you're safe."

"If I do this. If I stay, I will not play the hermit. I won't hide away until this threat or whatever is handled and it will not be your job to protect me." Oliver opened his mouth and she could practically see the opposition in his features. "I will not be your damsel Oliver." he closed his mouth. He could see the certainty in her eyes and knew at this point arguing with her was pointless, so he nodded.

"Fine, but I will never promise not to look out for you. I will never promise not to save you when it is in my ability, so don't ask me to promise either of those things." Oliver stated closing the distance between them. They stood there simply staring at each other letting their words sink in.

"How's your shoulder?" Katie asked wanting to change the subject. She watched as the mere mention made him roll his shoulder.

"It's fine." he said with a clenched jaw and Katie smiled.

"You're a horrible liar." she said with a shake of her head before turning and letting her eyes roam around the lair. "So this is like really weird" Katie said and Oliver couldn't help but laugh. She walked over to the row of arrows, tilting her head as she looked at the sharpened points. "But then again you were always a little weird." she looked over to him. "You didn't have to tell me about this."

"I know, but I wanted to." Oliver replied walking over to stand beside her. "Do you remember that one spring break, before senior year. There was this party-"

"Aw, you bring up the worst memories." Katie grimaced as she brought her hands to cover her eyes. "Yes I remember that party. Everyone looked at me like they didn't know why I was there."

"That's where we all met drunk Twinkie." Oliver said laughing at her embarrassment. "Who is by far way cooler that normal Twinkie, let me tell you." Katie punched his good arm before turning and walking off. "I'm kidding. But drunk Twinkie does know how to party."

"You have a point. I don't know what it is, but I'm really hoping you do."

"That night, I found you lying on the beach all by yourself, just staring up at the stars and I joined you."

"I remember because that was the one time I actually saw you at that party, if I remember correctly, you invited me to come to." Katie added turning back to the arrows. "ugh, you were such an asshole."

"Yeah, not the point of my story though." Oliver said and Katie looked over to him. "I remember you saying that you're big ole ball of crazy and that only one person gets the opportunity to witness it and that person was me. I thought you were just drunk, but then I was standing at your door that first night you were introduced to the hood and-"

"That's a horrible name, you know?"

"I didn't choose it and stop interrupting me." Oliver countered and Katie waved a hand for him to continue. " Like I was saying, I was standing there and you were looking right at me and you didn't know who I was."

"That's not exactly true, you did that thing where you rubbed the back of your neck and-"

"Can I finish my story?" Oliver asked with a slight annoyance. "Would that be too much to ask?"

"Your stories are always so long and boring." Katie muttered and Oliver nudged her side. "Fine, continue."

"You were looking at me and you didn't know who I was. You, Twinkie who knows all my shades of crazy was looking at me and didn't know it was me. I thought it was only fair."

"You do know that this isn't a show me yours and I'll show me mine." Katie said and walking from him, placing a distance between them.

"What happened to you?" Oliver asked and Katie let out a snort before turning back to him.

"An awful lot." she replied with a shake of her head. "Not sure it compares to five years on a deserted island, so I won't even try to assume that my scars are deeper than yours."

"Five years or three. The scars are there and they hurt and you can't keep them to yourself. I'm here whenever you're ready to let them go." Oliver replied and Katie locked eyes with him for a few moments.

"What now?" she asked tearing from his blue eyes.

"Now you move into the mansion-"

"Nope." she interrupted instantly.

"Katie-"

"Let's not confuse why I was going to leave. My leaving was to keep you safe, the people around me safe, not because I was scared. I'm so beyond that right now." Katie said as she reached down to pick up his bow. "No, if I stay, I will do my best to piss this son of bitch off."

"They will try again." he repeated and walking over to her. "And you live alone."

"I will have your friend Ms. Smoak hook me up with a kick ass security system" Katie countered as she held up the bow toward the wall behind him.

"You're definitely not the Twinkie I remember." Oliver said as he watched her posture while holding the bow. Her hands were steady, her eyes fixed on a target as if about to shoot. He almost forgot that there was no arrow in the thing.

"I'm so not."

* * *

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Home is Where the Heart is**

_"Decorate your home. It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is."_

_-Charles M. Schulz_

* * *

Home is where the heart is. Home is where everything just makes perfect sense. That's what everyone says, what the hallmark movies were all about and what those stupid holiday cards would say. Katie had been home a full month and found herself navigating through her house like a stranger. She could hardly find things, and then there was the fact that it was always so quiet. She'd spent the last four years engulfed in noise, and now all the silence was getting plain torturous. There was one mile stone and that was that after a couple of weeks, she began sleeping in her room again. It started feeling less and less like a stranger's room and more like hers. She did do a little redecorating. She removed some of the childish toys and stuffed animals and made it look like an adult actually slept in it. When she was done, she stood off to the side and just studied it. This to her was the start to her new life.

The door bell rang and she unintentionally smiled. She wiped the smile off of her face instantly and mentally reprimanded herself for the feeling she got at the sound. She knew who was at the door. He was practically her only visitor. Well except for Thea who stopped by when she could, when she wasn't busy with her community service at the legal aid building with Laurel.

Katie had to force herself not to rush to the door. This was the only downside to being back. It was that the old Katie's feeling for a certain man seemed to become evident with every passing day. She didn't expect the frequent visits, especially with the opening of his new business venture coming still found it hilarious that he was deciding on running a business. Sure it was going to be a nightclub, and sure it would probably be filled with women and alcohol, but if she learned anything from her father it was that a business was a business and it needed the love and care you would give to a child. The bell had rang for a third time, but Katie was already standing in front of the door. She took a sick pleasure out of making him wait for her for once. Taking a deep breath, Katie brought an annoyed expression to her face before pulling open the door.

"How many times do I have to tell you to ask whose at the door before you open it?" Oliver asked as he walked inside without an invitation. "I could've been anyone." he went about his routine as he walked in, letting his eyes look over the place for any anomaly.

"You could've, but I don't think a murderer would ring the bell first. Plus there's the cameras that are running out there, and the sensor in the fence that lets me know whenever it opens"

"I could jump over that fence and evade any cameras out there." Oliver countered as he walked into the kitchen. "Just ask whose there next time Twinkie." She could keep arguing with him, telling him there were sensors above the fence as well and that there are cameras focused on every inch of this house, but she decides to just let it go. She was growing after all.

"Whatever Oliver. Why are you here?" Katie asked walking around him to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"I talked to Tommy and he said he invited you to the club opening." Oliver said and Katie couldn't help but smile.

"That's not all he offered. There is suppose to be a car to pick me up, a VIP pass waiting for me at the door and all my drinks would be comped."

"And you said no, right?" Oliver asked and Katie turned to him with a look of confusion. "C'mon, don't look at me like that. I'm only thinking about you."

"Sure you are Oliver." she spat dropping her mug on the counter and stalking past him. "You know what, maybe things aren't as different as I thought they were." she headed up the stairs, and he followed behind her.

"People want you dead and you think me not wanting you in a crowded club is what, me just not wanting you to go?" Oliver questioned as they walked into her room. He stopped and looked it over to see just how different it was. "You finished. It looks more grown up now." he brought his eyes back to Katie, who didn't look happy. "I just think that-"

"And I think that I will be the one who decides where I do not go." Katie said before walking into her closet. "Tommy invited me and-"

"He only invited you because he thinks it will get to me." Oliver said wishing he hadn't the moment the words came out of his mouth. He stood there and just as he expected, Katie came out looking for him to explain.

"How would me going to the opening get to you?" Katie asked folding her arms over her chest. Oliver turned away, unsure of how to answer without sounding like a complete ass.

"It's just-" he sighed. "Ever since I came back, he seems to think I'm hiding something."

"Which you are." she interrupted and he simply shrugged. "Wait, he thinks you're most likely to spill your secrets if I'm around." Oliver nodded and Katie shook her head before walking back into her closet. "That's crazy."

"I know right, I mean sure I have already told you my big secret, but that doesn't mean I tell you all my secrets." Oliver said as he began wandering around her room.

"No, you certainly do not." Katie called from the closet. Oliver walked over to her desk to see her laptop open and an job application link opened. He bent down a bit to read the application. "What are you doing?" Katie's voice said startling him. He turned back to her more surprised that she was able to sneak up on him. She looked over his shoulder to the computer and sighed. "You're snooping."

"I'm not snooping. The screen was up and I-"

"Decided to snoop?"

"Whatever. I didn't know you were looking for a job" Oliver said looking back down to the screen. "And to Starling General?"

"I was just looking. I can't just sit around this house day end and day out and do nothing." Katie said taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "I mean I went to school to practice medicine in an actual hospital."

"I don't know." Oliver said with a shake of his head. "I don't think-"

"There you are again with all that thinking. You're too pretty to think Oliver" Katie said standing to her feet and giving him a pat on the arm. "One of these days you're going to hurt your self if you keep up all that thinking."

"You know I forgot how unfunny you are." Oliver replied causing Katie to laugh. "No, I'm serious. For some reason I remembered you with a good sense of humor and now that you're actually here, I don't see it." he looked down to his watch. "I have to get to the club, I will talk to later." he headed for the door.

"See you at the opening!" she called and he stopped wanting nothing more that to turn around and shake some sense into her, but he knew it was no use. He was going to see her at the opening. Katie couldn't help but smile as she watched him leaving.

The smile faltered instantly as it always did, because she remembered. The past and all of it's fucked up moments. She wanted so badly to focus to the future, to put the past behind her, but it was as if she couldn't let it go. Or maybe it was that it wouldn't let her go. On the outside looking in, she looked like she was adjusting well to being back, but the truth was hidden. In the basement to be exact.

She had no idea what possessed her to do it. But the idea struck her and she couldn't let it go. So along with redesigning her room, came designing of a new room. Katie's foot steps echoed down the basement as the always did when she walked down the basement. The motion lights flicked on the moment she was halfway there illuminating the room no one had ever seen and if it was in her ability, no one would ever see. Her eyes scanned along the walls where swords, knives, quarterstaves, batons, pretty much ever hand to hand combat weapon, lied. She even had one bow and a couple of arrows just because. There was a punching bag hanging nearby and a meditating area off to the side near the window where the perfect light filtered in at certain parts of the day. This room, this room is where she let out so much hate filled aggression, it's where she felt most like herself. A dark side was brought out of her and she's becoming all too aware that it's not going away.

_Her face was pressed against cold concrete in a dark cell. Katie didn't know where or even how she ended up in the room, but she figured at this point that wasn't important. She felt so weak, which she contributed to not eating or drinking anything for days. She was probably suffering from some extreme malnutrition and dehydration. That's probably why when the door to her cell opened, she didn't even move from her place on the cold, hard floor. She didn't flinch as the pair of feet moved closer to her, and she didn't resist or fight back when a hand grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled her to her feet. She was forced to stare into the dark eyes of a man she'd never seen before. He said something in another language, one she just knew wasn't Bosnian. He smiled at her for a moment before letting her fall back to the ground hard. He turned and walked out the door, this time leaving it open. She was supposed to follow him and so she pushed herself to her feet and practically hobbled out of her cell. He was only a couple of feet in front of her, but her eyes seemed to dart around the darkened hallway._

" _Where am I?" she asked and he stopped and turned to her._

" _Like you said, you're in hell" he said with a cackle before turning and walking away. Katie couldn't do anything but follow._

Katie stood in front of the punching bag about to throw a punch before the doorbell rang. She lifted her head in confusion. She rarely got more than one visit in a day and when she did, it usually made her nervous. The bell rang again, and she quickly turned and climbed the stairs, not forgetting to enter the doors lock code. When she walked to her front door, she stopped herself from simply reaching forward and opening the door.

"Who is it?" Katie asked.

"It's me!" a familiar voice called from the other side and Katie laughed before pulling open the door to find her very own Thea Queen where a smile that just made Katie nervous. "Hello love muffin."

"It's weird when you call me that. Always has and always will be." Katie said stepping aside to let the woman in.

"Well when you show up at my house with a muffin that you homemade specifically for my brother, you should've known that you would be my love muffin." Thea said unable to stop the laugh from escaping her lips. "But that's not why I'm here."

"Why are you here?" Katie asked when the doorbell rang again. Thea smiles mischievously before walking over to open the front door. Katie was about to question her, but soon men pushing racks and racks of dresses came into her house. "Speedy, what the hell did you do?"

"I talked to Tommy and he told me you were coming to the opening and I figured that you would need something to wear." Thea said letting her eyes scan over the rack, before plucking one. "Ooh, I like this one." It was red, short and looked like something one would find someone wearing on a street corner.

"Ok, one I'm not wearing that." Katie said as people filed past her. "And two, who are all these people?"

"So we have wardrobe and make up." Thea said ignoring the glare Katie was sending her. "This is your coming out party love muffin, and you are going to do it right." Katie sighed because it would seem she was simply fighting a no win battle.

Katie wanted to punch someone by the end of the whole ordeal. Hell if one more person touched her without her permission she was pretty sure she was. At the moment she was finally left alone in her room where she stood in front of a full length mirror. She wanted to be mad at Thea, to curse her name from this day forth, but as Katie stood there and looked at herself, she had to admit that Thea Queen was probably an evil genius. The black dress she wore seemed to fit her perfectly, like a glove. It actually hugged her curves, and even she had to admit she looked good. The door to her room pushed open and in came Thea who looked beautiful as well in her short pink dress, her hair over her shoulders in wavy curls.

"Huh, where are you going?" Katie asked turning to her with crossed arms over her chest.

"To the opening, silly." Thea replied innocently walking over to the mirror for any last minute touches. "Duh."

"I don't think so Speedy." Katie said walking beside the young girl. "I get you have not had the conventional childhood, but I thought we agreed that what I'm here for."

"And then you left." Thea replied turning to the woman. "And I don't fault you for that. You were hurting, we all were, but you left and I had to stay, so you don't get to be my moral compass anymore. You get to be my friend who makes sure I don't drink entirely way too much." the young woman turned back to the mirror to run her fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry." Katie said suddenly and Thea sighed. "You're right, I left and-"

"To be honest you staying probably wouldn't have changed anything. When my dad and Ollie-" she stopped when feelings she thought were long buried showed their ugly head. "Look this is me, and I'm fine with it." she looked over her shoulder to Katie. "But I doubt that will stop you and my brother from trying to save me from myself."

"Damn straight." Katie said turning back to look at herself in the mirror. "I can't wear this. I just-"

"Yes you can and you will." Thea said placing her hands on Katie's shoulders. "You are hot and he will not be able to take his eyes off of you." that gained the girl a quirked eyebrow and a confused look.

"Who?" Katie asked and Thea turned away slightly before turning back.

"Who, what?" Thea asked dumbly before turning back to the mirror.

"Who won't be able to take their eyes off of me?"

"What are you talking about, now?" Thea continued to ignore the glares Katie was sending her as she smoothed out her dress.

"Thea Queen, if you-" there was a knock at the door and soon one of the make up artists stepped inside.

"Your car is here Ms. Robins." the man said and Katie gave him a nod. She sent a final glare to Thea before walking over to the man.

"Are you all packed up?" Katie asked.

"Yep, we are leaving now."

"Alright, thanks for everything and-" she shook the mans' hand. "You do good work."

"You were already beautiful, I just made sure people would look." he said with a smile and a shake of his head. "And trust me sweetheart, they are going to look." with that the man turned and Katie felt nervous suddenly. She was usually the girl who could walk in a room, and no one would even notice. Now it would seem lots eyes might be drawn to her and in lieu of recent events that might not be a good thing. She turned back to Thea who saw that look in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Thea asked and Katie turned away slightly in thought.

"I think I need a wig." Katie said and the looked of confusion on Thea face was impossible to miss.

Verdant's opening was going great. The place was packed, people were drinking, dancing and having an all out good time. Almost everyone. Oliver moved about the crowd trying to look as if he wanted to be here. It was strange. Once upon a time he practically lived in places like this, and now...now he was someone different. Something different actually.

He spotted Tommy near the bar, a glass in his hand and smile on his face. Oliver doesn't think he would've even gotten this much done without Tommy's help. Tommy spotted Oliver and held up a glass toward him.

"Look what we did, buddy!" Tommy said pulling Oliver into a half hug. "This place is awesome, and everyone seems to be having a good time."

"Yeah." Oliver said turning his eyes to scan over the crowd.

"Almost everyone." Tommy said and Oliver turned back to him. "You're looking for her aren't you?"

"Who?" Oliver asked letting his eyes go back to the crowd.

"Don't who me, I'm your best friend." Tommy said giving the man a slap to his shoulder. "And I know you've been on edge ever since I told you I was inviting Twinkie to the opening."

"I've been on edge because of a new business venture, not because of Twinkie." Oliver said, his eyes spotting someone who resembled Katie, but once they turned he realized it wasn't her. "To be honest, you shouldn't have invited her."

"Why not? She's my friend and-"

"Ok, she's been your friend all of five minutes. I know her and I know that she's still dealing with her dad's death and-"

"Maybe a little music and alcohol with help." Tommy said before bringing his own glass to his lips. "Dude, just because you've been friends with her longer doesn't make you an expert on all things Twinkie."

"That's exactly what it means." Oliver said trying to harness his annoyance with his friend. "Look I get you're just trying to help, but just back off a little." Tommy stared at Oliver for a moment before a smile began tugging on his lips. "What?"

"When did this happen?" Tommy asked placing his glass on the bar and turning all of his attention to Oliver.

"When did what happen?"

"Don't play dumb with me Ollie. I've known you for a long time. And the vein in your forehead is making an appearance, your jaw's clenched and you can't stop looking at the door. It's so obvious." Tommy said with a slight shake of his head. "You like her."

"Like who?"

"Alright, you know what. I'm not doing this." Tommy replied looking out into the crowd. "I'm going to check the door to see if there's been any issues. You just stand here play dumb." Oliver sent a glare the man's way as he sifted away through the crowd. Oliver simply shook his head before letting his eyes graze over the crowd once again before spotting someone he did recognize. He moved as best he could through the crowd of dancers before finally appearing behind them. His mother and Thea turn to face him, both wearing smiles.

"Hey!" he said hugging his mother and then his sister. "what do you think?"

"It looks great Oliver." His mother say proudly looking out into the crowd. "Your father would be very proud." His father was one of the things Oliver couldn't get out of his head tonight. He would wonder if his father would approve of all of this, if he would be proud of him.

"Thanks mom." he replied with a smile before turning to his sister. "I thought you were coming with Twinkie." she smiled before glancing to her mother. "What?"

"Nothing, I just knew you would ask that." Thea replied before looking out into the crowd. "We did come together, but she said something about the bathroom and I haven't seen her since." Moira noticed the clenched jaw of her son, before placing a hand on his arm.

"Is everything alright?" she asked and Oliver turned to her with a forced smile that she recognized instantly.

"Everything is fine." he said before placing a kiss to his mother's cheek. "I should get back out there." she gave him a nod before watching him disappear back in the crowd.

"I told you." Thea said looping her arm with her mother's. "It's so obvious, right?"

"Oh sweetheart." Moira says before pressing a kiss to her daughter's head. "You're kind of late." Katie stood in the crowded bathroom, simply staring at herself. She barely recognized herself since she put on the short, pixie cut wig and a pair of thick rimmed glasses.

"I guess you can't hide in the bathroom forever." she muttered to herself before grabbing her clutch and heading for the door. She took one final deep breath before returning to the pulsating beat of the speakers and grinding dancers that seemed to be filtered about. She was never into this scene before DWB, and now, now she certainly didn't see any draw. The room was filled with people who had no idea what was happening in the world around them. She was about to step back into the crowd to find Thea and Mrs. Queen when a hand grabbed her arm. Instinct kicked in and in one swift movement, she turned about to punch somebody, but luckily the light caught the perpetrator's face and she stopped. "Liver, you're lucky. I seriously almost decked you at your own club opening." Oliver didn't say anything as his eyes seemed to scan over her in a way she wasn't used to. "Thea picked the clothes. I would never-"

"You look beautiful." Oliver said suddenly and Katie looked back up to him with wide eyes. "Well except for the hair and the glasses." she let out a chuckle before straightening the glasses on her face. "Horrible disguise. I recognized you the moment I saw you."

"Well you're different then most people. Of course you recognized me." she said before letting her eyes scan over the crowd. "So you see anything I should be worried about?" he tore his eyes away to look into the crowd. He had been trying to see if there were anyone their that didn't look like they belonged, but so far nothing.

"Not at the moment." he said when suddenly Katie was bumped from behind, pushing her right into Oliver's arms. His hands caught her instantly, and without hesitation. She brought her eyes up to his, and she was met with that look of intensity she could barely stand.

"Have I mentioned how much I dislike clubs?" she asked and a smile came to his face and she felt her heartbeat begin to pick up speed. They were close, like seriously close and it became evident with every passing second. Oliver seemed to notice first and pulled away, dropping his hands back to his side.

"If you dislike clubs, then why are you here?" he asked as they both began walking over to the bar where they took a seat.

"Well you see this club belongs to a friend of mine." Katie said glancing over to him. "So I felt this obligation as his friend to come and show my support." they looked out into the crowd. "You did good Liver."

"You know you can keep calling me that, but it won't stick."

"I'll make it stick." she said before giving him a nudge to the arm. "I'm sure opening a club requires a lot of attention." he looked over to her with a furrowed brow. "You don't have to sit here with me if you have something better you should be doing."

"Want to know the truth?" he asked turning back to the crowd. "This is kind of the best part of my night. I wanted to see this with you." now it was Katie's turn to look confused. "You said I wasn't a complete idiot. You're the only person whose ever believed that I was more than what I let people see. You're apart of this."

"Nope." she said with a shake of her head. "This is all you Oliver Queen." she turned back to the club and smile. "You did good and I'm proud of you."

"That means a lot." Oliver said staring over to the side of her face, unable to even ignore the urge to kiss her right then and there. It wasn't the first time it happened, but this time he actually inched closer to her slightly, before stopping himself. He quickly turned away, surprising himself at the sudden thought. "You know I think you're right?"

"Huh?"

"I should probably go check on things." Oliver says already standing from his seat. "I'll see you around, ok?" Katie nodded as she watched him hurry away.

"Not sure what just happened there." she muttered to herself before turning around. She looked at the array of alcohol that lined the wall and she promised herself that she wouldn't drink. Her head turned down the bar where she spotted two women talking and laughing. She hadn't looked like that, laughed that hard since she came back. Katie shook her head before forcing her eyes to look down to her hands. Something was missing from her, that much she knew. She just wondered if she could ever get back what was stolen from her.

_Katie followed the mysterious stranger down the lingering hall, until they entered a dark, dirt floored room that was illuminated by lanterns that hung along the walls. Once she stepped inside, the door immediately closed from behind her._

" _Why am I here?" she asked, her voice echoing slightly off the walls. The man didn't say anything, his back still to her. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" he chuckled before finally turning to her. It was this moment that she got a good look at him. He was young, maybe even just a few years older than her. He was asian, which would explain why she didn't understand what he'd spoken earlier. She stopped staring and tried her best to form a glare that she fixed on him. "Why am I here?"_

" _Because you're lucky." he replied, his voice deep, an accent clear, but she didn't recognize it. She suddenly fell back against the door, realizing that holding herself up was a chore._

" _Lucky must mean something totally different from where you're from." Katie muttered closing her eyes, and letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm dehydrated, I need food, and I'm probably going to pass out soon. I'm not sure that's luck, more like torture."_

" _Oh, my dear. You know nothing of torture." he said in away that made Katie even more nervous. She lifted her eyes to meet his. "But don't worry, you will."_

" _Why am I here?" she asked again, this time almost afraid of the answer. He laughed again, turning his back to her._

" _You're here to die." he said causing a shiver to run through her spine. She slid to the floor, in defeat and he looked over his shoulder to her. "Don't worry, life after death is way better, trust me."_

A hand clasped on Katie's shoulder snapping her from her thoughts. She turned to see Tommy Merlyn looking at her with a look of both confusion and intrigue.

"What's with the costume?" he asked before holding up two fingers to the bartender. "Not that it doesn't look good on you."

"You recognized me too?" Katie asked now seriously doubting her abilities to hide in plain sight. "No, Thea pointed you out to me." Tommy said as the bartender slid two shots in front of them. "Hey, I don't knock anyone's party ritual, but you promised me a drink." he pushed her glass to her.

"No I didn't."

"Well you should've." Tommy replied picking up his glass. "This opening needs a little drunk Twinkie, so grab that glass and drink up." Katie looked down to the small gateway to hell that sat in front of her in the form of a shot glass. "It's time to let go Twinkie." she looked over to him thinking on his words and wondered if it was even possible for her to let go. "It's time to finally just let it go." she sighed with a nod before turning back to her glass and lifting it before downing all of its contents down her throat. She couldn't explain how much she missed that familiar burn and the tingling all over feeling she got. Katie flipped the glass over and waved to the bartender for another. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Tommy held up his own glass for another as well.

Hours later the club was still hyped and bumping, much to Oliver's annoyance. Sure, from a business stand point, he was on cloud nine, but he still wanted to be anywhere else but here. He was walking through the crowd, making sure everything was running smoothly when a familiar voice spoke over the microphone. His eyes, along with everyone elses' turned to the DJ who seemed to have a guest standing beside him holding a microphone.

"Twinkie?" he muttered already moving through the crowd toward her.

"Sorry, I'm really-" she hiccuped and giggled. "Is everyone having a good time!" she asked and the crowd roared with hooting and hollering. "I said is everyone having a good time!" it all seemed to get louder. "Well then I think everyone should get a fucking glass in their hand and hold it up for the two guys who made all of this possible." slurred speech, random giggling and the slight swaying as she stood. Oliver soon realized that it wasn't Twinkie on that stage, but drunk Twinkie and he cringed at the realization.. Just as he made it through the crowd he spotting Tommy climbing to the stage to try to bring her down.

"No, Tommy stop." she said pushing him away before holding up her glass. "Let's all drink to great booze, great music, hot guys and loose inhibitions!" she dropped the microphone before drinking whatever was in the glass in her hand. She pressed a kiss to the DJ's cheek before whispering something to him to made him smile wide. With a wink she turned to step off the stage. Oliver almost ran, because if she took one more step she'd be taking a dive right off the stage.

"Katie!" he tried to yell, but the music was already starting again, and she'd already taken that step. Everything in that moment happened in slow motion as Oliver tossed himself to try and catch her before she hit the ground.

" _Get up!" the deep voice ordered and Katie didn't know what to do except comply. She used the wall to slide herself back to her feet. "Get over here!" she didn't move and he huffed in annoyance before stalking over to her. She flinched as he reached over and grabbed a fist full of her shirt and nearly dragged her across the room. She thought this was where her end would happen, but instead she was lead to even more confusion. He brought her to a table that held a cup of what looked like water and a bowl of soup. Katie brought her eyes to the man. "Eat, now!" he pushed her to sit in the chair. Katie hesitated for a moment. She knew there were an array of things that could be slipped in to hurt her. He sighed loudly before grabbing the spoon and bringing the sound into his mouth. "It's not poison, now eat! You're going to need your strength."_

" _Why?" Katie asked and he shook his head._

" _Because someone in the good seats seem to think you're worth it." he said before pushing the bowl closer to her. "Now eat!"_

There was something cold on Katie's head. That was the first thought she had as she came to. She heard mumbling voices, and opened her eyes to room that was terribly bright. She reached up to feel an ice pack on her head, when she moved it, she slid her fingers through her hair realizing her wig was gone. That's when she felt the sore lump that was starting to form. This is why drunk Twinkie usually stayed in her little cage.

"I am going to kill Tommy." she said, her own voice seeming too loud for comfort.

"Don't worry, I already did." a voice said from somewhere around her. She let her eyes scan around until Oliver appeared above her. "How do you feel?"

"Like someone sat on my head." she said trying to sit up, only to fall back down to the couch. "What happened?"

"Drunk Twinkie happened." Oliver said taking a seat beside her on the couch. "You fell off stage and you hit your head. It's just a bump, you should be fine after some aspirin and a good night's sleep."

"Thank you doctor Queen." Katie muttered letting her head fall back and her eyes closed.

"I have to check on some things, but I'll be back in a few to take you home."

"That's not necessary." Katie said opening her eyes to look over to him. "This is your opening and you're not leaving to take your hot mess of a friend home." she tried sitting up again, this time successfully. She looked around to see that they were in the lair below the club. "I'll just have the car Tommy sent me to take me home."

"Not by yourself." Oliver said walking over and grabbing a glass of water. "Plus it's fine. I could use a little time away from this place."

"I get it, but I'll feel bad if I'm the reason you miss out on your first day." she said looking around for her shoes. "Where are my shoes?" Oliver turned and reached for her shoes that looked wet.

"You sort of barfed on them and I did my best to clean them, but I'm think they don't make it past tonight." he walked over and handed her the water and the shoes.

"I'm so embarrassed." she said with a shake of her head as she slipped on her shoes. "This is so not what I needed right now."

"Hey, it's fine. People get drunk and act crazy. It's a club, that's what people usually do in clubs."

"That doesn't make me feel better." she brought the glass to her lips and took a sip of the water.

"How does your head feel?" Oliver asked as he squat in front of her and reached up to let his fingers slide through her hair. She hissed slighted as his fingers touched the bump on her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"No, it's really not. I knew Tommy was going to do something, and I just-" he sighed. "I abandoned you. Again."

"Oh, Liver. I'm too drunk to deal with your over dramatics." Katie said before sliding in closer to him. "You didn't abandon me. Our idiot friend offered me drinks and I acceptedthem while you tended to your business." Without thinking she placed a hand on his cheek, and she could definitely feel the alcohol in her system. Sober Twinkie would stop what was happening. Sober Twinkie wouldn't be getting sucked into his deep blue eyes and sober Twinkie definitely wouldn't be looking down to his lips and wondering why they weren't pressed up against hers. Oliver's thoughts seemed to be on the same wave length, because he began inching toward her as well.

"Oliver are you-" Oliver quickly stood to his feet and even took a couple of steps away from the woman before turning to Diggle who looked between the pair. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You weren't." Oliver said not even daring to look in Katie's direction. "What's up?"

"Helena," Diggle replied and Oliver turned away from him. "Felicity may have something that she thinks we should see. She's on her way."

"Right." Oliver said with a nod. "I'm just going to-" he nudged his head slightly toward Katie and Diggle took the hint before turning and making himself scarce.

"I should go." Katie said standing to her feet, not expecting the sudden dizzy spell to hit her. Oliver went to help her, but to his surprise she held up a hand to stop him. "I'm fine." she looked around for her purse, before grabbing it and turning back to him. "Just go do what it is you do."

She turned and headed for the stairs, but Oliver couldn't let her leave like this.

"Katie!" he called after her. He was glad that she actually stopped, but she didn't turn to him. He walked over to her, right behind her. "I'm-"

"You're Oliver Queen." she said turning to him. "And I'm Katherine Robins." she nodded as if to accept the meaning behind those two statements. "I get it."

"That's not-"

"Oliver, I'm-Oh." Felicity had rushed in and stopped when she saw the pair. "I'll be at the computer."

"Go." Katie said nudging her head to where Felicity and Diggle stood around the computer. "I'll see you later." and with that she turned and headed up the stairs.

Katie had hope that she would be able to just sift through the crowd without anyone noticing. Those hope were tarnished when a certain Tommy Meryln appeared in front of her smiling ear to ear.

"Aww, you're looking a little too sober for comfort." the man said and Katie sent him a glare before moving around him. "Hey, I'm sorry, but you needed to loosen up and I needed drunk Twinkie to turn this club up."

"I'm glad I was able to help you." she tossed back to him as he continued her trek to the door. "Too bad I almost died."

"You fell and Oliver softened most of the fall when he practically flew to catch you." Tommy said and that caused Katie to stop and turn to him. "What?" she simply shook her head before turning and continuing to the door. "Fine, leave, but you have to admit you had a good time."

"No such words will ever pass through these lips Thomas Meryln!" she called back to him and she could hear him laugh as she sifted through the last group of people and finally made it out the door. She requested her car from the valet and waited in front of the club for her car to arrive.

It was the hairs on the back of her neck standing up that she noticed first. She looked around the darkened street, the music still bumping from inside. There was someone watching her, and she could practically feel their eyes on her. She wanted to call Oliver, but she knew better. She knew that she couldn't call him with every paranoia of hers. When her car finally arrived, she stepped forward and quickly got inside when the driver opened the door. The drive home was spent far more quieter then the ride to the club and that had much to do with the lack of Thea Queen who'd disappeared on her.

Katie was lost in her own thoughts, but when she passed a familiar street, her brow furrowed. She looked around before turning to the driver.

"I think you missed your turn." she said to the driver. She didn't get a reply and she leaned forward slightly in her seat figuring he probably didn't hear her. "Sir, I think you missed your turn." Still no reply, but the partition did raise, and the locks clicked. Katie turned to the door, trying to open it, but she couldn't. "Hey!" she called trying to open the door. She felt the car pick up speed, before stopping suddenly sending her flying from her seat.

Tommy was making his rounds around the club, making sure everything was still alright. He glanced down to his watch, seeing that closing time was in sights. He was about to turn around when he spotted flashing lights outside the club.

"Aw hell" he muttered figuring someone may had too much to drink and now the police were called. He quickly made his way to the door and the moment he stepped out, he saw the officers talking to someone. "What's going on?" he asked the bouncer.

"Sir-" the bouncer replied turning to him. "I was just about to find you. Some guy was attacked and tossed behind the club." Tommy's eyes widened before turning back to the officer and the guy who he noticed was holding an ice pack to the back of his head. It was that moment did he realize the man looked familiar. He walked over, trying to get a better look at the guy and just as he arrived, both the man and the officer turned to him.

"Sir!" the man said coming over to him frantically. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do, I thought he was going to kill me!"

"Calm down, what are you talking about? Who was going to kill you?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know who he is, but I was in the back of the club having a smoke when some guy pulled a gun on me and demanded the keys to the car." the man said and at the mention of the car, Tommy realized who this guy.

"You're the driver." Tommy stated and the man nodded. "Wait, you're Katie's driver?" Tommy's eyes scanned the street. "Where-" he turned back to the man who simply shook his head. "Shit!" he turned to the officer. "You have to find the car, I think my friend is in it."

"Calm down. We've already contacted the car company and they've shared the car's GPS. We'll find your friend." The officer said.

" _Ten-four, we've located the stolen sedan."_ a voice spoke from the officers walkie talkie. He glanced over to Tommy before turning his back.

"Copy, did you find a female in the vehicle."

" _No, car's empty. We got a broken window, and there's blood everywhere, but other than that, there's nothing."_

"Alright, I'm bringing a unit your way."

" _Copy that."_

The officer turned to Tommy who had heard the entire conversation. He shook his head before bringing his cell phone from his pocket.

"Sir-"

"No!" Tommy snapped already dialing. "I don't care what the fuck you have to do, but you find her!" Tommy turned away and stormed off, placing the phone to his ear. He growled in anger when all he got was the voice mail. "Oliver, I don't know where you are, but you need to answer your phone. Something's happened and I'm freaking out! Call me back!" The moment Tommy stormed through the door of the club, he let his eyes scan over the club hoping to spot Oliver. "Fuck!" he snapped before sifting through the crowd unaware that there was someone following him.

Oliver had practically searched all of Verdant when Felicity told him that there had been a facial match for Helena at the club.

"Anything?" he asked into the ear piece.

"I still don't see her, but she was there." Felicity replied typing away on her computer trying to clear up the resolution of the screen.

"Digg?"

"I don't see Helena, but I am currently looking at police outside the club." Diggle replied through the ear piece.

"I'm on my way." Oliver replied making his way to the door, only to be stopped by one of the bus boys.

"Mr. Queen!" the man said and Oliver came to a stop. "Sorry, but, Mr. Meryln was looking for you. He said it's important. He's in his office." Oliver nodded before watching the man turn and disappear into the crowd.

"Shit." he muttered before placing a hand to the ear piece. "Digg, give me a sec, I need to talk to Tommy."

"Alright, I'm going to see if I can figure out what's going on?" Diggle replied.

Oliver turned slipping the ear piece from his ear and putting it in his pocket before sifting through the crowd, it was nearing two in the morning and the club was still going strong. When he reached Tommy's office, he knocked on the door first.

"Tommy!" Oliver called before pushing the door open. "You wanted-" it was that moment did he see Helena with Tommy pinned to the desk, his face pushed to the desk, with his arm pulled behind his back. "Helena, let him go!" he stepped further into the office. "He's has nothing to do with this!"

Felicity was still trying to find Helena again, when one of her computers beeped. She turned slightly, typing a few keys before reading what popped up.

"Oh my God." she said before lifting her head. "Oliver!" there was no reply. "Oliver?" still nothing. "John, can you hear me?"

"Yeah" Diggle replied.

"Where's Oliver, we have another problem."

"I was just about to say the same thing."

"Your problem wouldn't by chance include Katie would it?"

"Yeah, the police are outside the club. The driver to her car was attacked before someone stole the car and now she's with them."

"No she's not." Felicity replied turning back to the screen. "They found the car, but no one was in it. There's now a missing person report out for her."

"Oliver is not going to be happy. Felicity-"

"I'm already scouring the area where the car was found to see if any nearby security cameras may have picked up anything."

"And I'm going to find Oliver."

Diggle came back into the club and headed right to Tommy's office. The moment he was close, he could hear the raised voices.

"I don't want to hear it!" Tommy snapped before pushing his way out he door. John noticed the way Tommy was cradling his arm against his chest, but the man had stormed past him before he could even ask about it. John turned just as Oliver burst out of the office.

"We have a problem, we need to head back downstairs." Oliver said not even leaving room for Diggle to reply.

"I thought you'd be more upset." Diggle said following behind the man. "More murderous glare."

"Oh I'm pissed." Oliver said over his shoulder as the reached the stairs to the basement. "She pushed me into a corner." Diggle's looked at the man in confusion, before quickly moving to catch up.

"Ok, so none of the security cameras I've seen have found anything, but there's still more." Felicity said not tearing her eyes from the screen as she continues to type.

"Don't bother, I found her." Oliver said and Felicity stopped and turned to him with wide eyes. "She was in Tommy's office."

"Really?" Felicity said letting out a sigh a relief. "That's good, I thought she was in some real trouble there. So she didn't get in the car?"

"Car?" Oliver asked not sure what she was talking about. "What car?" Felicity looked over to Diggle who sighed. Oliver followed the woman gaze. "What's going on? Aren't we all talking about Helena?"

"Oliver-" Diggle said in that serious tone Oliver has become way too familiar with. Before another word was spoken, a vibrating sounded from somewhere and they all turned to see a cell phone sitting on a nearby table.

"I was wondering where that went." Oliver said walking over to grab his cell phone. He glanced down to the ID to see a familiar number before bringing it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Oliver?" a voice whispered.

"Katie?" Oliver replied. "What's wrong? Where are you?"

"I need your help." she replied before the line disconnected.

"Katie!" Oliver yelled but it was no use. "Katie, what-"he turned back to Diggle and Felicity who both stared at him with worry. He dropped the phone back to his side. "Someone start talking now! What the hell is going on?!"

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Matters of the Heart  
**

_"The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart."_  
_-Robert Green Ingersoll_

* * *

Katie had just come to the brutal reality that as she sat there in the middle of nowhere, she was totally and completely on her own. She stared down to the black screen of her phone that died right as she was talking to Oliver. There was a noise and she quickly pressed her back up against the tree she was hiding behind. Her eyes closed and she slowed her breaths as the series of events that lead her to this moment played in her head.

_The car came to a sudden stop sending Katie flying off of her seat. She threw her hands out to stop the impact, but it still hurt like a bitch. Without waiting she scrambled back up into her seat, turning on her back before sending her high heeled feet into the window. She heard a door closing, but she wasn't going to stop. The window cracked suddenly, and with one more jerk of her feet it shattered. Her ankles got the worst of the shards and she hissed as she slid back up about to climb out when the driver appeared outside the door._

" _That wasn't smart." he said before pulling open the door and grabbing her arm and pulling her out the car. The moment she was out, Katie saw the opened trunk as he pushed her closer. Without really giving herself the chance to over think it, she sent her elbow into his stomach. He grunted in pain, his grasp loosening, allowing her to get free. The moment she did, he took a step forward to grab her, but she kicked a leg up right into his chest sending him stumbling back. She kicked off her shoes, before turning and running away._

She thinks she was in a park of some kind, but from the looks of it, trash on the ground, graffiti all over the place, she knew she had to still be in the Glades.

"Where are you little bitch!" a voice called and Katie didn't move and say a word. "When I find you I'm going to make you pay for that little stunt back there." the sound of sirens suddenly echoed around them. "Shit!" she heard leaves on the ground crackling under his feet as he moved. "This isn't over!" those were the last words he said before she heard his heavy footsteps getting farther and farther away.

Katie simply slid down, wrapping her arms around her knees and her head falls to her chest.

" _What am I supposed to do with this?" Katie asked looking down to the wooden stick the man had handed her. After her meal she had to admit that it did give her a sense of renewed energy. She was still weak, but given the chance she thinks she could probably make a run for it. But now he made her stand in the middle of this strange room and just gave her this stick._

" _Not die" he said before suddenly taking a quick step forward and whipping his stick toward her, but she jumped out of the way._

" _What the hell are you doing?!"_

" _You're fast. That's good." he said before whipping the stick once again and Katie rolled out of the impact. "That's what you're going to use." he spun around her and Katie quickly stood back to her feet. "You need to watch me. Everything I do. Everything I'm going to do."_

" _That doesn't make any-" he swung his stick again and this time Katie threw up her own to block him. "What the fuck is this!?" she snapped before throwing the stick on the floor and backing away. " I just want to go home. I just want out of here." he looked at her and she could've sworn the look on his face was annoyance. He took a few steps forward before reaching down and picking up her stick and handing it out to her. "I don't want that. I don't want any of this."_

" _What you want no longer matters!" he snapped, his voice loud causing a chill to run down Katie's back. "What matters is this. Right now. Take the stick and if you throw it down again, then I will not take it easy on you anymore." he held out the stick and she looked down to his hand with hesitation. "Take the damn stick or you will never get home." she met his eyes to see the seriousness. She clenched her jaw before taking a firm step forward and snatching the stick from his hand. "Now as I was say-" she whipped the stick at him, and he threw up his own to block her._

Katie heard the sirens getting louder, but she didn't move. She knew this could be some trick. That her potential kidnappers could be hiding somewhere waiting for her to come out. She froze when she heard the rustling of leaves.

"Ms. Robins!" a voice yelled, but she tightened her mouth closed. "Katherine Robins are you out there! We're the police, we're here to help you!"

"Ten Four, you guys got anything?" she heard a voice ask from a walkie talkie.

"Nothing." one of them say.

"Well we have Oliver Queen here, he says to call her Twinkie."

The two officers shared a look of confusion before turning to the dark park. One of the officers simply shrugged.

"Twink-"

"Don't" Katie said coming from behind the tree with her hands up. "Please don't call me that." Both officers looked her over, their eyes going to the blood on her legs and clothes. "Just get me out of here, please." the officers rushed over to her.

Katie was a doctor and the one thing she hated was being the patient. But at the moment she had no other choice. She sat in the hospital bed, looking down to the bandages around her ankles and sighed before hearing commotion outside her door. When she turned, the door burst open and in came a very frantic Oliver Queen.

"Are you alright ?" he asked coming to her side, placing a hand on her cheek. Katie nodded before looking back to the officers who looked like they were about to grab him.

"Wait!" she called and Oliver turned to them. "It's fine, he's my friend."

"It's fine" another voice said and they all turned to see detective Lance at the door. He looked to the two officers and nudged his head for them to come out of the room. Once they were gone the detective stepped inside of the room closing the door.

"Thanks Detective." Oliver said giving the man a nod.

"Don't thank me. The next time my officers give you an order, you follow it. You understand?"

"Yes sir." Oliver replied before turning back to Katie. "You sure you're alright?" he was now looking her over and his eyes landed on her bandaged ankles. "What happened?"

"She kicked out a window." Lance said and Oliver met her eyes as she nodded. "Before she elbowed him and ran off." he looked over to Katie. "And then he chased you into the park, but left when he heard the cops." Katie nodded once again and the detective had a look. Like he was trying to imagine the whole thing to decide if it were true. "Alright, there's going to be an officer outside this door and I'm going to have one outside your house-"

"That won't be necessary." Oliver replied and they both turned to him. "She's coming to the mansion."

"No, I'm-"

"It's not up for discussion."

"You're right it's not. Since you're not my father, and I'm an adult, I'm going to say no." she turned back to the detective. "Look I doubt an officer outside my door is even necessary. I doubt this guy comes back."

"Yeah, well I do this for a living. I think I understand the mind of a criminal. This guy was bold. He watched you, attacked your driver and was this close to carrying out some sick plan. Guys like that just don't give up." the detective looked over to Oliver who was still staring down to Katie. "Let me know where you're going to be and I'll have some guys watching out for you."

"Thanks detective." Katie replied before Lance turned and left. She looked back up to Oliver, whose expression told everything he was feeling. "You don't get it."

"No you don't get it. Lance is right. This guy had you. You were gone and I didn't know where you were." Oliver dropped his head and let out a tired sigh before looking back up to her. "I know you don't want to seem helpless, but right now you my help."

"No, I don't. Me not being dead right now proves that."

"No, you not being dead right now means your death probably wasn't in their plans." Oliver countered. "You need to finally see that this threat is real and whoever this is who wants you is not stopping. You on your own can't handle this."

"And you can?" Katie asked and Oliver simply shook his head. "I may not wear-" she glanced over to the door before lowering her voice. "I may not wear a hood and shoot got damn arrows, but that doesn't mean that I can't take care of myself."

"I didn't say you couldn't, I'm just saying at some point you're going to have to realize that this fight may take more than you. I realized that months ago and now I have Dig, now I have Felicity." he gestured to her. "Now I have you. Let me help you." Katie turned away from him and he knew she was now thinking it over.

"I'm not staying in the mansion." she said not meeting his eyes. "I'm not putting your sister and your mother in the middle of this."

"Fine." Oliver said and it was a little too quick for Katie's liking. She turned back to him to a satisfied look on his face. "Then I'm staying with you." she opened her mouth to argue and he simply held up a hand to stop her. "Don't, it's happening." his phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out to see Diggle's number. He suddenly realized that there was still the problem of Helena to deal with. "How long are they keeping you?" he looked back up to her.

"Just overnight as a precaution, but I was going to talk the doctor into letting me out tonight, why?"

"I need to do something and it might take a while and I'd feel better if you stayed here with that officer outside your door."

"I hate hospitals!"

"But you're a doctor!"

"Yeah, I know how it sounds, but people who milk cows can be lactose intolerant!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means I want to get the hell out of here!"

"Look, just one night. Just give me one night."

"Oliver Queen-"

"I promise." he was already backing out of the room. He had that look in eyes. That look that even if everything inside you told you not to believe him, you just did. "Just one night and I'll pick you up myself."

"One night Liver!" she called and he gave her a smile and nod before turning. He stopped before leaving and turned back and walked over to her. "What-" before she could even ask a question he was leaning over her, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I'll be back in the morning." he said and Katie simply nodded, words failing her at the moment. He nodded once again before turning and leaving. Katie sat there for a moment, letting that play again in her head. Oliver Queen just kissed her. Sure it was on her head, nowhere near her lips, but it was a kiss none the less.

To her dismay, Katie couldn't go to sleep. She tried. Closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, but every time she did the images of the day just replayed in her head. One moment she was making a fool of herself in front of hundreds of people and the next she's being kidnapped. Her night was spent staring out the window of her room trying to figure out why someone would want her dead. When morning finally came the only thing Katie did was count down the time that Oliver would arrive. She wanted to hit herself because she was doing the one thing she promised herself she would never do again and that was waiting for Oliver Queen. When the door open Katie let out a sigh of relief before sitting up in her bed and turning.

"Oh." Katie said looking at the man who was not Oliver Queen. He looked to be around Oliver's age, dark hair, nice smile to boot. "Hi. Who are you and how did you get past the guy with the gun?"

"Well I had this" he said pointing the name badge with a smile before walking over Katie with a hand held out. "Hi, I'm Doctor Christian James."

"Christian James?" Katie said with a furrowed brow. "I talked to you about the job here."

"It's nice to meet you." he replied shaking her hand. "Though I wish it was under better circumstances. Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Katie said with a small smile. 'I mean it was nothing." she turned away from him and shook her head slightly. "Nothing."

"Well whatever it was I'm glad you're ok." he said and Katie turned to see him smiling at her. "I read your creds and you're good. You'd be a great addition to the hospital, but that's not why I'm here. Our interview is already scheduled and we can talk more about that then, but now I just wanted to check in."

"Well thank you, that's nice. I really am fine and I'll be even better when my friend gets here to take me home." she glanced over to the door hoping that he'd appear, but nothing. "He promised he'd be here."

"I'm sure he's probably just running behind, but hey if a ride is what you need I wouldn't mind taking you home." Christian said and Katie's eyes widened slightly before shaking her head.

"That's so not necessary, I wouldn't ask you to do that."

"I really don't mind and if it helps sway your opinion of our hospital then all the better." he said with a laugh. "Everyone here knows me so all you have to do is have one of the staff call me if you want that ride."

"Thank you." Katie said shaking the man's hand again. This time he hovered for a second while holding her hand. She stared at him for a moment also, unable to not notice the slight spark between them. She pulled back her hand and he simply nodded wordlessly before turning and leaving. Katie let out a sigh before laying back on her bed.

It happened unintentionally, but when it did she didn't even notice. Sleep finally captured her and she didn't know it until she heard more commotion outside her door.

"Hey! You let me in, or I swear you'll be sorry! Do you know who I am?"

The voice cut through the room and Katie's eyes snapped open. She looked over to the window to see the sun still shining, but lower than before.

"I will ruin you!"

"Thea!" Katie muttered before sliding from bed, ignoring the soreness when she walked. She pulled open the door to see Thea standing head to head with the officer. The moment she sees Katie her angry expressions changes to one of worry.

"Oh my God!" Thea says rushing over and tossing her arms around the woman in a tight hug. "Are you alright? I heard one of the nurses say your name and I freaked." Thea pulled back, letting her eyes search Katie's. "What happened?"

"It was nothing, just a mugging gone bad." Katie said glancing over the young woman's should to the guy standing off to the side, his wrist bandaged. "Who's this?" Thea looked over to the man and smile.

"Oh this is Roy, he's a friend." Thea said turning back to Katie. "I was visiting him in the Glades, when-"

"Wait, you went to the Glades?" Katie asked and Thea simply nodded. "By yourself?" the girl nodded again. "Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there especially for someone like you."

"Someone like me?What does that mean?"

"Some rich kid who can't throw a right hook if her life depended on it." Katie said with a shake of her head. It took some convincing, but Katie was able to get Thea to return home. Which is how she ended up back in her hospital room, by herself with her phone pressed to her ear.

"Ok Liver, you have one hour and then I'm leaving this damn hospital and never speaking to you again." she ended the call and tossed her phone on the bed angrily. She crossed her arms over her chest as she stared down to the phone trying to will him to call, but nothing. She let out a huff when the door pushed open. There was only a slightest hope that it was Oliver, but at this point she doesn't even expect him. So when she turns and sees that her suspicions were right, she not even surprised.

"Dr. James, hi" Katie said with a slight smile. "Back again?"

"Please call me Chris, and yeah. I wanted to see if you were still here." he looked around her room. "Your friend stood you up?"

"I'm really starting to believe that." Katie said with a shake of her head. "It's fine. I'm used to it by now." she turned on the bed. "I'll just check out and call a cab."

"Hey, that offer for the ride is still open." the man said and Katie shook her head.

"I really can't accept the offer, but thanks anyway." Katie said when suddenly the door to her room burst open and in came a very frazzled looking Felicity Smoak who seemed to be trying to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry-" she said bending down slightly. "Oliver-he-" she looked back over to Katie. "He's sorry. Like really sorry. I'm almost positive it's buy you something sorry."

"Where is he?"

"Something, kind of came up." Felicity said before turning to the man in the room. "Oh, hello" she held out a hand to the man. "Felicity Smoak."

"Dr. Christian James." the man said shaking the woman's hand. "Do you need to sit?"

"No, I'm fine." Felicity replied fanning herself with her hand before turning to Katie. "Is everything alright, I'm not barging in on something, am I?"

"No, it's fine." Christian said before turning to Katie. "I thought Katie would be in the need of some rescuing, but it turns out she doesn't, so I guess I'll be going."

"Thanks again Dr-" he gave her a pointed look and Katie smiled. "I mean thanks again Chris and I'll see you at the interview."

"See you then." the doctor said before turning to Felicity and giving her a nod. "Ms. Smoak." and with that he turned to leave, closing the door behind him.

"He's cute" Felicity said suddenly before turning back to Katie. "Was he your doctor?"

"Felicity, focus. Where's Oliver?"

"Very long story" Felicity said walking over and holding out a bag to Katie. "One I will tell you on our way to the Foundry."

"Foundry?" Katie asked taking the bag from the woman. "But I want to go home."

"I know, but Oliver-"

"No." Katie said with a shake of her head as she carefully stood from the bed. "Oliver was supposed to be here to pick me up, Oliver was supposed to take me home. I promised myself that this wouldn't happen again and look at me, it's happening." she let out a huff before slowly making her way to the bathroom. "I'm going home!" and with that she slammed the door.

"This is not good." Felicity said as she took out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number.

When Katie came out of the bathroom, now fully dress, she looked over to Felicity who had her cell phone pressed to her ear.

"Oh, here she is." Felicity said before holding the phone out to Katie. "It's Oliver."

"Oliver doesn't want me to talk to him right now. The words, jackass, asshat and or dill hole will be used and way too many times. " Katie said walking over and grabbing her jacket from a nearby chair. Felicity brought the phone back to her ear.

"Did you hear-oh, ok." Felicity pulled the phone from her ear, pressing a single button. "You're on."

" _Katie, I'm sorry."_ Oliver's voice spoke from the phone. _"I know I promised-"_

"Yeah, you did, and now that promise is broken and I'm going home." Katie called as she stuffed her clothes in a bag. "So have a good life." she began moving toward the door, where Felicity quickly moved to block her. "Felicity, move please."

" _Katie, will you listen to me. Something came up. Something that I needed to take care of, hell that I'm still taking care of."_

"Which I completely understand, handle whatever you need to handle Oliver, but I'm still going home."

" _And it's still too dangerous for you to be by yourself."_

"I've been by myself for years Oliver, and I've gotten by quite fine thank you very much." she brought her eyes back to Felicity. "Get out of my way Felicity."

" _Fine"_ Oliver said and both Katie and Felicity looked to the phone. _"I'm on my way."_

"But Oliver, what about the thing." Felicity said and Katie quirked an eyebrow. "The very important thing you're taking care of now so it doesn't bite us in the ass later. Helena-" Katie quirked a brow.

" _Felicity, it's fine, I'll just-"_

"Stop!" Katie snapped with a shake of her head. "Is what you're doing really important, like no one else can do it but you important?"

" _Yes, but-"_

"Then finish it." Katie said before bringing her eyes back to the blonde in front of her. "Your guilt trip worked, I'll go with Felicity."

" _Thank you."_ Oliver said clearly relieved. _"I promise-"_

"Stop doing that." Katie interrupted. "Stop promising. It gives me expectations that you never meet and always leaves me disappointed. Just do whatever it is you're doing and then we'll talk." she reached forward and hung up Felicity's phone before bringing her eyes back to the woman. "Let's just go."

That's how Katie found herself lying on a cot in the foundry. It wasn't very comfortable, but it didn't matter to Katie who fell asleep moments after her head had touched the pillow.

_There was nothing else left in her. She was sitting on the cold floor, her back against the wall as she tried to catch her breath._

" _For your first time, that was impressive." the man said before tossing back a cup of something Katie figured was alcohol. "But you will be better."_

" _Why?"she asked lifting her eyes to meet his. He smiled again before walking over to her, a move that made her quickly push herself to her feet._

" _One day you will look back on this moment and thank your lucky stars for it." replied before grabbing her arm and pushing her toward the door._

" _Are you ever going to tell me your name?" she asked as she moved down the darkened hallway toward her cell. He chuckled as if it were a foolish question._

" _Call me Lian" he spoke as he laughed a little more confusing the hell out of Katie. She had no idea what was so damn funny about that. "Lian Yu." and with that he pushed her into her cell, locking the door and disappearing._

A hand touched her cheek and she jolted awake, lifting from the cot trying to come back to reality.

"Hey." she turned to see Oliver knelt beside her with his hands on her shoulders. "You're alright."

"I'm not sure I am." she muttered taking deep breaths before finally noticing that he was in his arrow gear. She looked around the lair to see that Felicity was no where in sight, and neither was Diggle. "Where is everybody?"

"Felicity had to get back to work and Digg is on his way back." Oliver replied still staring down to her with concern. Katie simply nodded before sitting up completely from the bed. "Easy." Oliver glanced down to the bandages on her ankles before looking back to her eyes. "Do you need anything?"

"To go home." she replied and he shook his head.

"We will, but I just need to-"

"You're bleeding." Katie said suddenly noting the blood seeping from a scar on his neck. She met his eyes for a moment before shaking his head. "I can clean that."

"It's fine, I'm fine, just take it easy."

"Look, Liver, I'm a doctor so I'm biologically incapable of being around blood and shit and not doing something about it." Katie replied standing to her feet and walking over to where they kept the first aid. "You're going to have to lose the hood."

"Twinkie, really I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

"Will you let me do this!" Katie called with obvious annoyance. She was confused about a lot, and she didn't know what the hell was going on, but she knew medicine. It was always that one thing she was sure of. She gathered some supplies and turned to see him just standing there staring at her. "I'm more stubborn then you."

"I can't argue with that." he muttered walking over and taking a seat in front of her. She stared him down with a quirked eyebrow. Without wanting to argue he pulled off his hood, giving Katie a very good look at his very, very sculpted body. She turned away before he caught her staring.

"So what happened?" she asked as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves.

"Long story" he replied and Katie rolled her eyes before turning back to him. She took a seat on the stool beside him and began cleaning the cut.

"Is that your way of telling me you don't want me involved?" she asked and he chuckled. "Something like that." he glanced over to her to see just how focused she was in that moment. How her hand seemed to move effortlessly and gently at the same time. "I figured you had your own stuff to deal with." she didn't say anything, because she already knew where this was going. "What happened?"

"Pretty much your normal kidnapping. I got into the car thinking I was going to go home, but then it turns out my driver is a psycho. He stopped the car, and the only thing I could think of was not letting it get anything further so I did the first thing that came to mind."

"You kicked out a window." Oliver said and Katie nodded. "That was smart thinking." he glanced over to her to see a slight different look on her face. "You sure you're alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm safe, I'm alive. I'm on cloud nine right now."

"You were the victim of a failed abduction after being the victim of a successful one." Oliver said and Katie stopped her hands and looked over to him. "You have to have some feelings about that."

"No I don't" she replied turning and grabbing a bandage. She smoothed it over the scar, before standing, but Oliver caught her wrist and pulled back to the seat.

"You didn't go swimming for a whole month after you saw that ridiculous movie, Water Monster." Oliver said and Katie shook her head. "The one time I've ever seen your dad yell at you was when he caught us skipping school, and after that you refused to skip again."

"And your point?"

"Everything that happens to you has a reaction. You were taken, just like before and-"

"It wasn't like before." she muttered turning away from him. "What happened last night was child's play compared to what happened before." she pulled from his grasp and stood to her feet before walking off.

"Katie-"

"Those scars on your chest were made by curved sword that had to be driven through your body to have scars like that." she said and he glanced down to his scars before quickly grabbing a shirt and slipping it on. "They look old, like years old, like island years old." he lifted his eyes back up to her. "How does someone who spent five years on an island alone get stabbed like that?" Oliver didn't say anything and she didn't really expect him to. He turned away slightly as if the memory had just hit him. "There it is." he turned back to her to see the finger she had pointed at him. "That look in your eyes, I get that. I understand how painful it can be to have to see it again, to feel it again and I won't ever ask you to. You shouldn't either." she turned away, about to find somewhere to hideout to get out of this conversation.

"I wasn't alone." Oliver spoke and she closed her eyes because he was going to do the one thing she really didn't want him to do. "I haven't told this to anyone. I wasn't sure I should, but you're right, I wasn't alone." she turned back to him. "There we others."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I-"

"Oliver?" both turned at the voice to see Diggle walking in. The man stopped and looked between the pair. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's fine, you weren't-"

"Actually you were interrupting something Digg" Oliver interrupted and two sets of eyes went to him neither expecting him to say those words.

"Oliver, what are you-"

"Could you give us a minute?" Oliver asked and Diggle, too shocked to do anything else, simply nodded and went to make himself scarce. Oliver turned to Katie who stared at him with wide eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that." Katie said with a shake of her head.

"This is important. I need to say this." Oliver walked over to stand right in front of her. "I want you-"

"Oliver" Diggle once again interrupted this time his phone in his hand. Oliver turned to him with a dark look of annoyance. "Sorry, but we have to go. It's Felicity." Oliver stood a little straighter at the mention of his friend's name. "Our friend Helena paid her a visit." Oliver's expression darkened before he turned to Katie.

"Do not leave." he ordered before turning and grabbing his hood.

"Oliver-" she began, but the look of seriousness he shot her, stopped all arguments she could've had. Soon they were gone, leaving her all alone in the freaky, vigilante lair. "Isn't this just great."

There were just way too many things Katie could get into in t his lair when left to her own devices. That's why after messing with Oliver's arrows, then fooling around on the computer, she was now staring up to the salmon ladder trying to decide if this would be a good way to occupy her time. She heard voices and not knowing what else to do, she knelt down to hide herself.

"I said I was fine John." Felicity's voice spoke. "I just want to go home."

"And you will, when she looks you over." Diggle replied letting his eyes scan over the lair. "If she hasn't left."

"You don't think she-"

"No, I didn't" Katie said standing up to reveal herself. "I should've, I mean I've been down here for hours now finding ways to amuse myself and trying to think up ways to get food ordered here." she began walking over to the pair when she noticed the bruising on Felicity's neck. "What happened?"

"Felicity was attacked."

"I'm fine" Felicity protested, but Katie's hand was already gently looking her over.

"Let me be the one to decide that." Katie said nudging her head for Felicity to follow her.

Felicity sat in the chair as Katie looked over the bruises on her neck, wrist and ankles.

"So before John and Oliver left they said a friend by the name of Helena paid you a visit." Katie said before bringing her eyes to Felicity.

"Friend?" Felicity said with a snort. "That woman is the farthest thing from a friend."

"I figured as much." Katie said finally sitting on the stool in front of her. "Who is she?" Felicity lifted her head and sighed. "What?"

"He doesn't want you involved in all of this." Felicity replied and Katie scoffed. "He wants to protect you from this part of his life."

"He's an idiot." Katie said with a shake of her head before placing a hand on Felicity's knee. "You're fine, take a couple of aspirin, put some ice on the bruises and get some rest." Felicity smiled and nodded just as Oliver came barreling in the door and he did not look happy at all. Both Felicity and Katie stood to their feet as he dropped his bow on a table.

"So I'm guessing she got away?" Diggle asked and Oliver shot him a glare. "Should we be worried?"

"I honestly don't know what's going through Helena's head right now, but I do know that if she shows up, I will deal with her." Oliver says before looking over to Katie and Felicity. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine" Felicity said with a nod before turning to Katie. "Our doctor here has given me a clear bill of health."

"Good" Oliver said before turning back to Diggle. "Digg, take her home and you should get home yourself."

"Something happened didn't it?" John asked and Oliver turned away. "Oliver-"

"McKenna showed up and Helena shot her." Oliver replied with a clenched jaw. "She's fine, taken to a hospital."

"That's good, right?" Diggle asked and Oliver turned to him. "It wasn't your fault, you have to know-"

"Just get Felicity home." Oliver ordered before turning and stalking off. Once he was gone, it was Katie who broke the silence.

"McKenna? Why does that name sound familiar?" Katie asked and both Felicity and Digg turned to her neither looking very certain they should answer that question.

Once Oliver reappeared he was no longer the vigilante, but Oliver Queen. When he walked out, he spotted Katie staring up to the salmon ladder.

"Whatever you're thinking, just don't" Oliver said and Katie waved him off. "I should take you home now." Katie turned to him to see he was still clearly upset.

"You know when I left for college, me and Thea conversed regularly." Katie said and Oliver chuckled to himself.

"I did know that." Oliver replied looking up to see her walking over to him. "She refused to give me your number or to pass along any messages."

"Well that's because I made her promise not to." Katie said with a shrug. "I was angry with you and wanted everything Oliver Queen out of my life."

"Except for my sister?" Katie laughed at that, but knew he was right. She couldn't completely let him go, and holding on to the youngest Queen was her way of doing that. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because in one of our many conversations where your sister didn't regale me with the interesting happenings in high school, she let the name of a girl you were dating slip." Oliver turned away slightly seeing where this was going. "McKenna Hall. I forgot about it until you said her name. Felicity and Diggle didn't say much, but I remembered."

"Twinkie-"

"Oliver don't" Katie replied with a shake of her head. "You have a girlfriend-"

"Shes' not-" he didn't know why he felt the need to tell her that she wasn't his girlfriend. It didn't matter, because she didn't even seem to hear him as she continued.

"-and I'm happy that you have someone who keeps you, well you." she looked around the lair before bringing her eyes back to him. "I was afraid this place was stealing you away, and now I know that there is someone out there who is keeping you here." he stared at her for a moment as if wanting to say something, but he dropped his eyes. "You should go see her."

"I have to take you home." Oliver said locking his eyes to her. "I promised and-"

"And I told you not to." Katie interrupted as she turned back to the cot in the corner. "I'm strangely comfortable here. So go make sure your-" _Shit_ , she couldn't just let the word pass through her lips. She cleared her throat before turning back to him. "Make sure your girlfriend is alright."

"Are you sure?" he asked, but there were other questions attached to those three words. Questions he wanted to ask, but for the life of him just couldn't. Katie stared at him for a moment, their eyes locked on each other saying things that couldn't come out of their mouths.

"Yeah." Katie finally spoke, turning away. "Go." Oliver stood there for a moment, his feet momentarily unable to move. Unable to move away from her.

 _Just Go._ Neither knew those two words had just passed through their heads at the exact same moment. When Oliver's departure wasn't imminent, Katie brought her eyes back to his and saw a look in his eyes that she didn't recognize. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could even for any words, he nodded before turning on his heel and walking away from her.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**A Hero to a Stubborn Damsel**

_"A hero is a man who is afraid to run away."_

_-English Proverb  
_

* * *

The average person needs about seven and a half hours of sleep to function properly throughout their day. Katie would be lucky if she could achieve half of that. Every time she closed her eyes she was blessed with another horrible dream. Memories, really. She thought of them as nightmares and so that's what they were. She would close her eyes and be assaulted by a tortuously familiar smell, or touch, and her eyes would snap open. Her body would be covered in a cold sweat and her heart would be ramming in her chest as the remnants of said nightmare replayed in her mind.

After the sixth attempt and failure at sleep, Katie glanced over to her clock that read four o clock in the morning and she just sighed. That's when she gave up trying to accomplish her seven and a half hours and accepted that she probably just wouldn't function normally today. And so she did what she always did when she was unable to sleep. She slid out of bed, slipped on a tank top and a pair of yoga pants before quietly sneaking from her room. She usually didn't have to act so covertly, but there was the issue of her uninvited guest who was now taking up residence in her guest room that she now had to worry about waking. Yes, Oliver Queen was now her roommate, and he had been for two weeks now despite her protests. It made her think. Well it all made her think. This new Oliver who puts on a green hood and shoots arrows at bad guys. This new Oliver who seems to becoming strangely attached to her. In the past, sure they were "friends" They hung out sometimes, talked, listened to music. But none of it actually seemed real since no one outside of the two them knew about it. Sometimes she thought of herself as a toy. Something he could play with when his real friends weren't around. Now, some of the things this new Oliver did and said, just didn't make any sense. It just made her question a lot of things she thought she knew about the man.

Each step she said a silent prayer that they would not creak and give away her actions. The last thing she could even imagine doing right now is explaining the secret room she keeps in the basement. When she finally reached the basement door, she typed in the security code before pulling it open and quickly heading inside, closing the door behind her.

She didn't realize that she wasn't moving as covertly as she thought. And she certainly must have forgotten that Oliver Queen was an early bird who always woke up at the same time every morning. This morning was no different. So as he stood in the kitchen after his first walk through the house, he stopped when he heard the movement coming from the other room. He quietly moved toward the door, barely pushing it open enough for him to see Katie walking down the stairs. He thought she was about to leave, and he in turn was going to stop her, but she didn't head for the front door. Instead she turned and walked out of sight down a hall. Oliver slid through the door, his footsteps as quiet and quick as hers. The moment he turned down the hall, he saw her disappear through the basement door, it closing behind her. Interests totally and completely piqued now, Oliver walked down the length of the hall, stopping in front of the door noticing the key pad right beside the door knob. When he reached to turned the knob, as expected it didn't budge.

Oliver was at an impasse, because there were various ways to deal with this situation. He could simply ask her, but he was almost certain she'd just lie. She was so guarded about everything lately and he didn't doubt this would be any different. Then he thought that maybe he could figure out how to unlock the lock, but then he realized technology really wasn't his forte, but he knew who did have a knack for it. And so Oliver when in search for his phone and hoped it wasn't too early to call his trusty computer tech.

After an hour or so, sweat was practically popping off of Katie's body as she tossed another fist to the punching bag. She probably should sit down, or grab a glass of water, but she couldn't stop.

" _Death is imminent!"_

She hates that his voice is still so clear in her mind. That no matter how much time passes, it still sends a chill down her spine. _Punch._ She was home and she was safe and yet she still felt trapped in that room.

" _It's how long you can last in the fight with it that counts"_

She could practically still see him walking around her, watching her, analyzing every move she made. There was no room for errors, or mistakes. There was no such thing as being too tired or exhausted. Suddenly his face appeared in front of her just as her fist was about to collide with the bag once again. His hand reached up and wrapped around her neck, and even though she knew it wasn't real, knew it couldn't be real, she could still feel the air not making it to her lungs.

" _Your death is imminent. Not even Oliver Queen will be able to stop it."_

Katie dropped to the floor, closing her eyes as she begins slapping her gloved hands to her head repeatedly.

"Get out of my head." she mutters over and over again. It's a mantra she's become all too familiar with. She can hear him laughing at her as if the request is foolish. She can only take the mocking for so long before she stands to her feet, rips the gloves from her hands and jets up the stairs. She doesn't stop running until she's behind the safe walls of her bedroom.

After changing out of the sweaty clothes, Katie drops back into her bed. She doesn't even attempt to fall asleep. She simply lies there and stares out the window until she finally sees the sun.

When she gets out of bed this time, she opens her door and is immediately hit with the glorious smell of coffee. It brings a smile to her and she decides in this moment to try harder to keep her inner demons at bay. In the kitchen she sees Oliver sitting at the kitchen island reading a newspaper and it makes her roll her eyes.

"It shouldn't annoy me how comfortable you're getting here, but it does. It really does" Katie says heading straight to the cupboard to grab a coffee mug. "Where-" she looks over to Oliver who is taking a sip from the bright yellow mug that she was looking for. "That's my mug"

"What, this?" Oliver asks looking down to the mug before shrugging and taking another sip.

"I think tonight is the night I kill you in your sleep, so get your affairs in order Liver." Katie says grabbing another mug and walking over to pour herself some coffee. She can feel his eyes on her, but she ignores him because this isn't the first time. He's always watching her as if hoping to gain some insight to what has happened to her from the way she walks, or tilt of her head or even the way she drinks her coffee. With a satisfied sigh she walks around to the other side of the counter and takes a seat before reaching over and snatching the paper from his hands. "This is also mine."

"I see your maturity levels hasn't increased this morning." Oliver said only for Katie to lower the paper to stick her tongue out at him before raising it again. "Actually I think they may even be decreasing. We should probably look into that."

"Or" Katie said dropping the newspaper on the table. "You could go home."

"Aren't you tired of having this conversation?" Oliver asks standing to his feet and walking to a nearby cupboard and grabbing two bowls. "I know I'm tired of hearing it."

"Why can't you see how utterly ridiculous it is for you to be here." Katie said with a shake of her head as he slides a bowl in front of her. This means he's barely listening to her which only annoys her even more. "I don't need a twenty four hour babysitter." She didn't expect this. Him being here all the time, and staying true to his word and actually making sure she was alright. He was trying to be her hero and she wasn't going to let him.

"I'm going to stick with the argument that you could still be in danger-"

"And you being here doesn't change that. It actually makes it worse, because if I am in danger then you being here means you're in danger and how does that help anything?" he shook his head as he turned to grab a box of cereal before taking his seat from across from her. "Oliver-"

"Nothing you can say right now will change my mind about this"

"I think you're being selfish." he glanced up to her with wide eyes.

"Seriously? How does me leaving my home to move into yours, and making sure someone doesn't kill you, make me selfish?"

"Because I'm not the only one in this city who needs you looking out for them." that seemed to strike a cord, and he turns away from her. "Whether you like it or not, you created something. Hope for this city. Hope for people who want to walk around without being a victim. This city needs it's Unibomber wannabe to make them feel safe."

"I think you're being over dramatic"

"And I think you're being a doofus" Katie countered pushing her bowl away and standing to her feet and heading for the door.

"Have I told you how I'm liking our morning conversations Twinkie?" he asked and heard her laugh in reply. Once he heard he close her door, he quickly walked out of the kitchen and headed straight for the basement door. He took out his cell phone and took a picture of the highly technical lock. Once he took the picture he dialed a familiar number and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Felicity, it's me. I just sent-"

" _Yep, I got it"_

"And?"

" _And what?"_

"Well, was I right? Doesn't that look a little to highly advanced to be the lock of a basement?"

" _I guess Oliver. It's a very good lock. One no one without high levels of intelligence will probably get past."_

"So does that mean you're going to come check it out?"

" _Oliver-"_

"Felicity, she's hiding something in this basement, and to have a lock like this it has to be something big. You have to come hack it or something, or wait, I could use the skeleton key right?"

" _You could, but I would advise against it."_

"Why?"

" _You like having Katie as friend, right?"_

"Felicity-"

" _No, Oliver look, if you think she's hiding something, then ask her about it. If she doesn't want to tell you, then she doesn't have to. You can't force everyone to tell you their secrets."_

"I don't like secrets."

" _Says the man with the biggest secret out of us all. Talk to her Oliver. You'd be surprise what might happen."_

"Thanks for nothing Felicity." Oliver muttered and simply ended the call cutting off her laughter. Oliver lifted his head to the ceiling and just took a deep breath before heading up to talking to his stubborn friend. He was going to try it Felicity's way and hoped it didn't bite him in the ass. Oliver was so deep in his head that when he reached her door, he didn't stop. He simply reached forward and pushed open the door. That's how he walked in and found her wearing nothing but a white towel. Both of them froze in shock, neither knowing what to do. Oliver liked to think of himself a man who had a lot of restraint, but as he stared at the woman who was practically naked, he couldn't stop his wandering eyes from traveling the length of her body. When his eyes finally locked on to hers, he noticed the confusion she held and he quickly slapped a hand over his eyes and turned his back to her.

"I'm sorry, I should've knocked, I was-"

"You were checking me out."

"Wait, what? No, I wasn't . I really-I wasn't, I was just-" he was stammering which probably wasn't helping the situation. "I would never check you out." the moment the words spilled out of his mouth he suddenly had the need to punch himself. "That's-" he turned to her, but her back was now to him. "I didn't mean it like that, I just meant-"

"It's fine. I get it." Katie said as strong as could muster. She didn't want him to hear the disappointment his words caused and she definitely didn't want him to see how such words still affected her. "Look, I really need to get ready. I don't want to be late to this meeting with your mom."

"Right." Oliver said before turning, but he didn't leave right away. He stood there, fighting the urge to turn and tell her everything he's wanting to tell her, but he doesn't. He moves his feet until he's in the hall and closes the door behind him.

After what happened to McKenna it was all clear to Oliver. He couldn't just have a normal life. His life was the job his father placed in front of him. It was the life he needed to focus on. Oliver headed back to his own room to get showered and changed, hoping the image of his friend wearing nothing but a towel would miraculously float out of his head. It didn't. He actually found himself fully dressed standing in front of the mirror, hand on his tie just staring at himself. His eyes may have been on the mirror, but his thoughts were on the way her skin glistened from the shower. Or how the way she stared at him with those wide eyes and parted lips that made him want to just grab her and kiss her.

A knock at his door startled him and he quickly straightened his tie before walking over to open it. He took a deep breath before grabbing the knob and pulling the door open. He had to stop himself from gasping when he saw her standing there in a dark blue dress that stopped right above her knees. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that fell over her shoulder. Oliver forced himself to look away to the door with a smile.

"So that's how this thing works." he joked turning back to Katie who simply rolled her eyes before turning and walking away.

"Get the lead out Liver, John just pulled up." Oliver was about to follow her, but his phone rang. He quickly grabbed it before bringing it to his ear.

"Yeah Digg, we're on our way out now." Oliver spoke already heading for the door.

Katie and Oliver rode in the back of the car in silence. Oliver chose to ignore the looks Diggle was sending him knowing that he'd get questions soon. As soon as they neared the building they spotted the swarm of reporters waiting.

"They're not here about this are they?" Katie asked as she leaned over Oliver to look out the window.

"I thought you knew." Diggle said and they both turned to him. "This little merger is running round the clock on every news outlet." He began slowing the car down as they neared.

"Take the back entrance Dig." Oliver ordered and Diggle nodded as he sped the car up once again. He looked over to Katie whose eyes were still on the reporters who held cameras waiting for them. "You on television is not something we want." Katie turned to him with a quirked eyebrow and he realized how that came out. "I mean-"

Katie simply leaned back in her seat and turned to look out her window. "Stop talking Liver, it only makes it worse." Oliver grumbled under his breath as he turned to look out his own window.

It was when the reached the back entrance of the building, and were walking inside did Diggle finally get a chance to talk to Oliver.

"You've developed foot in mouth syndrome all of sudden?" he asked in a low tone and Oliver sent him a silent glare before turning back to Katie who walked quickly toward the elevators. "I don't think I've seen Oliver the word fumbler before." Oliver simply shook his head before they reached the elevator to wait.

"Thanks Digg, I have it from here." Oliver said turning a fake smile to the man . "Why don't you go protect the car or something."

"Whatever you say boss." Diggle replied with a mock solute.

"Thanks John" Katie added giving the man a smile just as the doors slid opened. Once they were inside, the nerves hit her. Oliver looked over to see her eyes up to the numbers of the elevator, but her hands were twitching at her side.

"Hey." he moved in closer to her, his hand going to the small of her back. "Are you ok?" she turned from the calming numbers to his intense eyes and let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. "What's wrong, are you having second thoughts, because we can leave, my mother would understand."

"Would she, because I don't even understand." Katie said pulling from him and beginning to pace in the small elevator. "I don't know what I'm doing and I thought handing it to someone else who does was the right move, but then I started to think-" she glanced over to Oliver never stopping her stride. "My father and your father have known each other for like ever, and if my father ever wanted to merge with QC then he would have." she shook her head. "I just don't want to mess up everything he worked for with a simple sign of my name."

"Hey." Oliver said grabbing her arm to stop her from moving. "Right now you're in control of your father's estate. Everything that happens to it is your decision. Yours. And that means every decision you make can't be what you think your father would do, it has to come from you." Her back was now against the wall, her eyes locked on his. "What do you think is the right move here?" _Kissing you_ were the two words that floated into her mind in that moment and she mentally kicked herself. The elevator dinged and they heard the doors slide open, but neither moved. It wasn't until someone from behind them cleared their throat did they realize that they weren't alone. Oliver moved and both looked up to see his mother standing beside a man in a suit who didn't look too happy.

"I hope we're not interrupting." Moira said with a slight smile that she pointed to her son. She looked over to Katie who still looked slightly nervous. "Is everything alright?"

"I knew something more was happening here." the younger man from beside Moria said as he glared over to Oliver before stalking over to Katie and grabbing her arm. "We need to talk now." he began pulling her, which is why Oliver took a step toward the man, but his mother quickly stopped him.

"I'm alright." Katie said looking back to Oliver with a nod. He watched as she pushed the man with her purse, and he quickly released her arm. She pointed down the hall glaring at the man. "Now go." the man shook his head before stalking down the hall, Katie right behind him.

"Who was that guy?" Oliver asked keeping his eyes on Katie until she disappeared into one of the conference room. "And if I hit him, how much damage will I really do to the company?"

"Jeremy Locke. He's Jacob's head council." Moira said and Oliver looked down to her in confusion. "I know he's young, but that man is good at what he does. He's also her cousin."

"Really, I don't think I've seen him before." Oliver turned down the empty hall hit with a sudden anxiety about not being able to see her. He'd just spent the two weeks keeping her in sight, now he was forced to step back. "Where did he take her?"

"To speak with the other lawyers to try to talk her out of this." Moira said before nudging her head for him to follow her. "He's claiming that she's being manipulated into this decision."

"Seriously? How?" Moira glanced up to her son and just shook her head. "By me? That's-that's insane. I would never-"

"I know that dear." she replied placing a hand on his arm. "They're all just afraid for their jobs now that Jacob's gone and Katherine's in the drivers seat. They don't know much about her and that makes them nervous."

"I can't believe they would concoct some idea that I was making her do this" Oliver said still reeling from that information. "I mean where would they even get that idea."

"You have been spending a lot of time together." Moira spoke and Oliver glanced over to her and shrugged. "And you did move into her house."

"And I explained that it was for her own safety. Someone tried to kidnap her, someone who got away." that still made the man's blood boil. They'd been working over time to find that driver, but he was a ghost. "I'm only staying there to make sure she's really safe." Moira stopped walking and so did Oliver. She was looking up to him, with that look he's come to recognize oh so well. "What?"

"I am your mother." she could see the confusion wash over her sons face at the statement.

"I know"

"And that sort of gives me some inside into you, my son."

"Ok."

"Oliver, you can tell me anything."

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

Moira opened her mouth to speak when something down the hall caught her eyes. Oliver followed her gaze and his eyes widened when he saw Katie push Jeremy into the hall. The man fell back against the wall as Katie slid off her high heels.

"Say it again, you little bastard!"

"Honey, I think you should-" before Moria could even finish the thought Oliver was rushing down the hall. Katie was about to punch the man, but Oliver caught her arm before she could.

"Jeremy I think you should know that calling the person who signs your check a whore sort of warrants you being fired!" Katie snapped trying to pull from Oliver's grasp. "Now get the hell out of here before I find a way out of this man's grasp." Jeremy turned down the hall and practically ran away. Once he was gone, Oliver finally let her go, and turned her to face him. "That guy has been a little prick since we were kids."

"Calm down." Oliver said placing his hands on her shoulders. "What happened?"

"He brought me in there with the rest of my father's lawyers. Told me how I had no idea how to run his business and how I should let him make all the decisions for my father's company. After I politely declined, he said, and I'm quoting here, " _I guess Oliver Queen still has the ability to snap his fingers and make any woman open their legs for him_." Oliver's jaw clenched and Katie let out a frustrated breath.

"Prick." Oliver muttered.

"That's what I said." she closed her eyes and let her head fall back on the wall.

"Hey, don't listen to him. He's an asshole whose mad your father chose you and not him." Oliver said before pulling her into a hug. Katie brought her arms around his neck and let her head fall to his shoulder. "Your father knew he could trust the most important thing in his life with the second most important thing in his life. You can do this." They stay like that for just a few moments longer before pulling from the embrace. Oliver still had his arm around her waist keeping her right there, pressed against him. He made the mistake of looking down to her lips, and felt the sudden urge to kiss her. Suddenly the image of Mckenna being shot flashed in his head and he jerked away from Katie who looked at him with wide eyes. He ignored the look she was giving him and looked down to his watch. "We should go right? We're going to be late." he turned and head back to the hall to where his mother stood. She looked like she was about to say something, but he held up a hand to stop her before she could. Katie and Moira shared a look before Katie quickly turned away in embarrassment.

Soon Katie found herself sitting at the head of a table in a large conference room. Her lawyers on one side, and QC's lawyers on the other. They'd been talking for nearly an hour, and if you asked her, Katie couldn't tell you what they were talking about. It all went right over her head. Soon a hand touched her and she looked over to see Moira looking to her.

"Are you alright?" Moira asked and Katie simply shook her head. Moira simply nodded before standing to her feet. "Alright, I think a brief recess would fit here." the lawyers looked annoyed, but nodded before they all stood and began filing out. Moira turned just as Katie stood to her feet.

"I just need a minute." Katie said before she rushed for the door as well. Oliver was about to follow, but Moira grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Mom, what are you doing, I need to-"

"It's not about what you need right now Oliver. It's what she needs. Right now she needs a moment alone." Moira said looking to her son who looked like he wanted to do anything but not go after her. "Sit down." Moira sat down, but Oliver looked to the door still hesitant. "Remember she's safe here." Oliver sighed before finally taking his seat. "Oliver talk to me." he looked at his mother and shook his head. The last thing he wanted to do was talk. "You know I remember one summer when Katie's parents went away, they asked us if she could stay with us and of course we said yes."

"That summer at the beach house." Oliver said remembering that summer fondly.

"You were upset that you wouldn't be with your friends that summer, I think we were even getting the silent treatment, but then I told you that Katherine was coming and I swear your eyes lit up."

"Mom"

"I am your mother and I know you better than anyone in this world Oliver. "Moira said placing a hand on his arm.

"She's just a friend." Oliver said already knowing where is mother was going. "That's it." he looked over to the door, before standing to his feet. "I'm going to go check on her." Oliver was walking down the hall when he spotted Felicity who was looking down to her tablet. "Felicity!" she stopped abruptly and looked over to him with a quirked brow.

"Oliver if you are here to ask me about a stupid lock, then-"

"No, the meeting was today." Oliver interrupted.

"Oh, right. How's it going?"

"Long. We're at the intermission now, and I lost Katie." Oliver said scanning the halls before spotting the lady's room. "Oh, maybe she's in there." Felicity followed his eyes. "Would you mind-"

"No, I guess I wouldn't" Felicity said before walking over and pushing inside the room. The moment she walked in, she found Katie standing in front of the mirror, her hands planted on the sink with her head down and eyes closed. "Must be an intense meeting." Katie opened her eyes and looked over to Felicity, giving the blond a good look at the sadness that seemed to be held there. Felicity sat her tablet on the sink and walked over placing a hand on Katie's arm. "Are you alright?"

"He's supposed to be here. This is my father's element. You're bleeding and can't stop it, then call me. But in that room, talking about stock options and marketing costs. That's him." Katie dropped her head again. "I'm going to mess this up. I know I'm going to mess this up."

"I read about your father. He was a smart man. He didn't seem like the type of guy who didn't take every possible option into account. I don't think this one is any different." Katie looked back over to the woman. "He chose you for a reason." there was a knock at the door, before it was pushed open slightly.

"Is everything alright in there?" Oliver asked and Katie shook her head.

"We're fine Oliver, go away." Felicity answered turning back to Katie. "He's worried about you."

"I wish he wasn't. I wish he'd just go away and stop making everything so-" she shook her head. "Fuzzy."

"Oliver Queen does have that effect on women." Felicity said picking up her tablet.

"It shouldn't be happening with me. He's a dope, and he's annoying and-" she looked over to Felicity and sighed. "I'm just Twinkie." she turned back to her reflection and took a deep breath. "Ok, I'm going to do this. I don't know how, but I'm going to." she pulled her purse on her arm and turned to Felicity. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"Anytime." Felicity replied with a smile before they turned and headed out the door where Oliver stood waiting.

"Everything alright?" he asked looking to Felicity before turning to Katie. "We can reschedule this meeting."

"No, I'm fine. It was just a bit overwhelming, but I'm good now." she smiled and nodded before turning and heading down the hall.

"How is she really?" Oliver asked once Katie was out of ear shot.

"Freaking out, but I think she's good now." Felicity replied before looking over to Oliver. "You need to talk to her though."

"About what?" Felicity gave him a knowing look that he had to turn away from. It was those knowing looks he usually gets from his mother. "I should get back, I'll see you later." he didn't give her a chance to say another word before he was rushing off as well.

Soon all the talking was over. The deals were made, stipulations were created and now all that had to happen was a contract had to be created. Katie found herself sitting at the head of the table, Oliver sitting beside after everyone had cleared out.

"Tomorrow is soon." Katie finally spoke before turning to him. "This is happening."

"Yeah." Oliver said standing to his feet and holding out a hand to her. "You ready to go home?" it was a simple question, and yet Katie didn't expect the sudden rush of emotions that hit her after he said them. She looked at his hand for a moment before reaching up and taking it, letting him help her to her feet.

They were riding in the elevator down to the car when Katie finally found words again. She looked over to Oliver and sighed.

"You can't stay with me." she said and Oliver looked at her for a moment before turning away. "We had a deal. If I stay here, then I don't play your damsel."

"Twinkie, we're not doing this again."Oliver said as the doors slid open. They spotted Diggle instantly, but just as he took a step, Katie blocked him before pressing door closed button on the elevator.

"We need a little more time John." Katie said giving the man a nod before the doors slid closed.

"What are you doing?"

"Someone wants me dead." she said blatantly. His jaw tightened at the statement. He was aware of the fact, and really didn't like hearing it. "I think. I mean maybe they want me to cook for them or to play scrabble with them." he wasn't looking amused and Katie placed her hands on his chest and he had to fight the urge to grab her waist and pull her closer to him. He simply sighed and kept his arms at his side. "You can't be my twenty four hour watch dog. You have a job, and this city shouldn't be without it's hooded freak because of me."

"Don't call me a freak." he muttered turning away from her stubbornly and she couldn't help but smile.

"Well you dress up and then there's eye make up-" he cut a glare back to her and she held her hands up in surrender. "All I'm saying is, I can take care of myself." she turned and stood beside him once again. "I don't need a hero." he glanced over to her, just as the doors once again opened up. Diggle was still standing there with a look of confusion that he turned to Oliver who was standing there still staring down to Katie.

"Everything alright?" he finally asked and both looked to him and he just knew he should probably leave it alone. "I should probably get the car"

"Good idea." Oliver said, his voice laced with hostility that only seemed to be reserved for one woman.

They were in the backseat of the car on the way back to the house when Oliver felt her head drop on his shoulder. He looked down to see that she had fell asleep. In one, subtle movement he brought his arm around her letting her head fall to rest on his chest.

"How did it go?" John asked snapping Oliver from his staring. "At the meeting?"

"Fine, it was a lot of talking." Oliver replied glancing down to Katie as she snuggled closer to his chest. "She did good." Diggle couldn't help but smile at the pair in the back seat. He'd never seen that look on Oliver. It was actually kind of strange given what he knew of the man. It was rare that he actually saw him just being Oliver. Oliver narrowed his eyes to her hands, just now notices the barely visible scars.

"What happened to you Twinkie?" he whispered.

_Day in and day out, it was the same thing. Her captor would come to her, take her to their special room, and toss a different weapon at her. It had become this sick and twisted routine between them. Today she was waiting for him. Her back was pressed against the wall beside the door waiting for him to open it. The moment she heard his foot steps getting closer, she stood up straight and held her breath. His eyes scanned the cell through the small window, before he pulled open the heavy door. His foot had barely stepped inside before Katie dove at him, but he quickly grabbed her first, and slammed her back on the ground._

" _That was not smart" he said holding her in place on the ground. She struggled to get free, but his grip on her was too strong. He looked around the cell before dropping his eyes back down to her. "Foolish. I expected every move you made and because of that I beat you."_

" _Get off of me!" she growled through clenched teeth. "Let me go you son of a bitch." he took fists fulls of her shirt and lifted her from the ground, bringing her face so close to his that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin._

" _It's time you realize that I own you now."_

It was when Katie's hand clench his shirt did Oliver realize that she was having another nightmare.

"Hey, you're alright" Oliver soothed in her ear as he placed his hand over hers. He found himself saying that a lot to her lately and he began wondering if it was even helping. His arm tightened around her, bringing her even closer to his body. "Katie, you're alright." her hand relaxed and soon her eyes fluttered open. "Hey" she lifted her eyes to his before noticing their position and she quickly pulled away. "You had a nightmare, I was just-"she held up a hand for him to stop talking. She looked out the window to see that they were parked in front of the house. Without another word, Katie jumped out of the car and rushed inside. Oliver jumped out of the car about to go after her, but he stopped and bent over to look into the car. "Diggle, get the skeleton key and bring it here tonight."

"Oliver, whatever you're thinking just don't. She has to find her way just like you did. You can't force her to open up to you."

"Just get me the damn key Digg, please." and with that Oliver turned and stalked inside of the house. He was already loosening his tie as the walked up the stairs. He'd reached the top and internally debated going to his own room, or going to check on Katie. He decided that he was going to give her some space, and so he turned toward his room.

He was changed out of his suit when his cell phone rang from its spot on the night stand. He peeked down to the familiar number and quickly brought it to his ear.

"Felicity, what's up?"

_"I got him. John Nickle has made an appearance and of course the brilliant mind that I am got him."_

"Good job."

_"So does our slumlord get a visit from our hooded friend or are you still playing the warden."_

"Felicity, I'll see you at the foundry."

_"Damn, now I owe John twenty bucks, I guess I'll see you there." Felicity replied before ending the call._

Oliver's chest tightened slightly at the thought of leaving. He'd felt guilty about letting her leave the club that night, and he thought if he didn't leave her then it couldn't happen again. But she was right. He had a greater purpose, one he couldn't fulfill waiting for something that might not happen. He grabbed his jacket and the keys to his bike before finally leaving his room. He glanced down to the end of the hall to see her door open. He was about to head over when he heard noises from downstairs. Just like that Oliver Queen was gone, and the vigilante was there. His feet were quick, but light, barely making any sound as he moved down the stairs. He heard more noises, that seemed to be coming from the kitchen. His fists were clenched at his sides, ready for a fight as he neared the kitchen. It wasn't until he walked in and saw Katie bent over looking inside the refrigerator did he realize that there was no threat. He let out a deep sigh and Katie lifted her head to him.

"You hungry?" she asked and he couldn't help the smile that came over his face. Here he was ready to break someone neck and she was blissfully oblivious. She stood up and closed the fridge. "If you are there's nothing in there for you."

"Damn food fairies slacking on the job again?"

"Yes they are." she said opening a nearby drawer and pulling out an array of take out menus. "So what are you in the mood for?" she looked back up to him and noticed he was wearing his jacket and his keys were in his hand. "Oh, are you leaving?"

"Yeah, Felicity called and I have to go." Oliver said walking over to the kitchen island that separated them. "Will you be alright while I'm gone?" she tilted her head rolled her eyes. "Twinkie, I just-"

"Oliver, I'm home, in my overly secured casa. I will be fine without you. Trust me."

"You told me not to trust you."Oliver said and Katie dropped her head for a second remembering those words that passed through her lips. "Katie-"

"You're right." she took a couple of steps back and he realized he'd once again pushed her away. "You shouldn't trust me. Just know that I can handle myself when I need to." he stared at her for a moment wanting to say so much to her then, but he didn't. He couldn't. Not without breaking the one rule he had for himself. The one rule he was always so close to breaking when it came to her.

"Alright." he said with a nod taking a step back as well. Distance was the only thing that was helping them in that moment. "Look, I'm going to call you later just to make sure everything is alright."

"And when you see that I can be left without a chaperone, you're moving back home." Katie said with a pointed look. She didn't wait for him to argue before she turned and headed out the door into the living room to watch tv.

The rational side of Oliver's brain knew she was right. This newly overprotective side of his brain couldn't fathom the idea of leaving her alone again. He was about to turn and go after her but she came right back in.

"You forgot you were hungry, didn't you?" he asked and she simply gave him the stink eye as she grabbed the menus. "Oh, Twinkie, my life would be so dull without you."

"Damn right it would." he heard her mutter as she left him once again.

* * *

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**A Quiet Home**

_"Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love."_  
-Billy Graham  


* * *

Sometimes there's nothing stranger than being alone. When you're alone you're forced to pay attention to things you usually ignore. Up until this point , Katie had successfully ignored the empty hole in her heart since her father's death. She successfully ignored the anxiety of being in dark rooms alone. She even tricked herself into believing that she truly wasn't afraid that at some point she would realize that this was all a dream and that she was still in that cold dark cell. When you're alone, there are no distractions from reality and it was moments like this that Katie actually wished for Oliver's return.

Oliver was gone. Not really gone, he'd be back later, but for the first time in a week she didn't know where he was. Once Oliver left, Katie realized how quiet her house really was without her overbearing friend. Since he moved in, they'd practically been attached at the hip. They went grocery shopping together, ate together, watched horrible shows. It was ridiculously weird, but she didn't hate it. When her father died, Katie's greatest fear was that she was just going to be alone. After everything she's been through her only solace came from knowing that one day she would come home, to her family. And even though her father's gone, she can't help but feel that she's still got a chance at that.

At the moment, spent an an embarrassing amount of time staring at a pile of take out menus trying decide which one was more preferable when the doorbell rang. Katie quirked an eyebrow as she stood to her feet. She rarely had any visitors lately, so someone showing up at her door so late in the evening was very unusual. Of course Oliver would tell her to call him, but this was still her house and she could do something as simple as open a door. She stepped in front of the door, making sure to pause before opening it.

"Who is it?"

"It's your friendly neighborhood serial killer who's kind enough to ring the bell before chopping you into small pieces." a familiar voice sounded from the other side and Katie rolled her eyes before reaching forward and pulling open the door. The moment she did, she was engulfed into hug. "Aw, Twinkie, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"It's fine Tommy." Katie said returning the hug. "You're a busy man and-"

"That wasn't it." Tommy replied pulling from the hug. He met Katie's eyes and she could see that there was something he wanted to say, but he just wasn't. "I just-"

"Hey, it's fine. I'm alright."

"But I'm the reason you were even in the car-"

"Hey, it's not your fault some crazy bastard tried to kidnap me." she said before slapping his arm and waving him to come in. "I was just about to order some take out-"

"Take out, no" Tommy interrupted dramatically with a shake of head. "I'm taking you out. It's the least I can do."

"Is this another ploy to unleash drunk Twinkie, because Tommy I-"

Tommy rose his hands to stop her. "I'm offended you think so little of me. Look, Laurel's working late and I'm not really into the club scene tonight so how about a nice meal with a friend." Katie looked him suspiciously before finally giving in.

"Fine, but no alcohol, just food that you're paying for."

"Dude, you have more money than me, why am I the one the paying?"

"Well it was your idea and I take a sick pleasure out of making the guy who was the bane of my existence for so long actually buy my dinner." Katie said with a wink before turning and heading toward the stairs. "Let me change and I'll be right down."

"Bane of your existence is a little over dramatic, don't you think!" he called up the stairs as he let his eyes drift over the pictures on the wall. He'd been to this house a few times with his dad when he was younger and he usually hated it. When he was younger he wanted nothing more than to be like his father, and for some reason not explained to him, his father just didn't care for Jacob Robins and so neither would he, or his chubby daughter. It was stupid now when he thought about it. Jacob Robins really didn't seem like a bad guy. Tommy always remembered after his mother's funeral, Jacob sat beside him in their backyard and gave him one of those green army guys and he told him that when his own mother died his dad had gave it to him. He said that he thought he'd lost the little toy, but his father said this little green army man was like his mother. The things you think are lost and gone for ever, never really are. Tommy still has that little green army toy. He still looks at it and smiles always feeling closer to his mother when he does.

Oliver Queen was a man who knew the risks of distraction. When he dawned his hood, and carried his arrow, he knew that his mind had to be totally focused, and sometimes that meant forgetting about the Oliver Queen part of his life. Tonight seemed different. He'd been semi focused on finding the drug lord Felicity had located. Even though the guy wasn't there, he wasn't upset as he usually would be.

" _Are you trying yoga or something?"_ a voice spoke from the comlink in his ear. " _You're usually a little more gurrr, when we lose a bad guy"_

"We didn't lose him Felicity, he's just out of town" Oliver replied as he head toward his bike from the police station. He'd found the hide out, and only found a hand full of John Nickle's cronies, who easily spilled that their boss was in Central City and would be returning in couple of days, and for some reason Oliver didn't mind waiting. "It's hard to tell someone they've failed their city when their not actually in the city. When he comes back, we get him and then we cross him out."

" _Pilates?"_ Felicity asked and Oliver simply chuckled to himself.

"Maybe his head is somewhere else" Diggle said as Oliver walked over to the van the man was leaning against.

"My head is here and fine, thanks" Oliver replied heading for the passenger seat.

"Aww, he has Twinkie on the brain" Felicity teased when a few beeps sounded from one of her computers. She swiveled her chair around, leaning in slightly to read the message that had popped up. "That's strange."

" _What's strange?_ " Oliver asked and Felicity wanted to kick herself for saying that out loud.

"Nothing, it's just uh-" she'd known Oliver long enough to predict certain reactions, and she just knew he wasn't going to like this. "Speaking of Twinkie, uh does she get many late night visitors?"

" _What, no._ " Oliver responded his tone losing it's playful demeanor. _"Is someone at the house?"_

"Some of the sensors have gone off, so I would guess yeah."

" _What do the surveillance cameras show?"_

"Oliver, that's not how this works remember. The cameras are Katie's security measure, not for you to be a stalker."

" _Felicity!"_ he hissed angrily. _"She just made a deal to sign over her father's business assets to QC today, so if any time was perfect for someone to stop that from happening, it would be now. Now check security footage!"_

"Or how about we call her and see if she's in any danger?" Felicity said quickly. "Hold for a sec."

" _Felicity, don't-"_ he didn't even get to finish before the woman was putting him on hold.

Tommy heard the footsteps behind him and turned just as Katie was coming down to stairs toward him.

"Alright, I'm ready-" Katie was halfway down the stairs when her phone rang in her hand. She glanced down to see a familiar number before answering it and bringing it to her ear. "Felicity Smoak, what's up?"

" _Don't hate me."_

"No good conversation starts like that Ms. Smoak." Katie replied and she heard the woman on the other end of the line sigh. "Just come out with it."

" _Well when we were putting in your security systems, Oliver may or may not have asked to have access to them."_

"Excuse me?"

" _Look he was doing that big scary guy thing. And then he looked at me with those eyes he knows that gets every girl and-"_

"Felicity, what are you trying to tell me?"

" _He knows someone is at the house now and he's kind of freaking out and so-"_ the woman stopped speaking and Katie heard the woman mutter something under her breath. _"I'm going to patch you through to him now."_

"Felicity, wait, what-"

" _Who is at the house?"_ came Oliver's very serious, and from what she could hear very angry tone.

"None of your damn business." was Katie's just as angry reply. This was getting way too out of hand and this big brother act Oliver Queen was playing at was getting old very quick. "I can't believe you would violate my privacy and-"

" _Katie!"_ he snapped and Katie's eyes widened at his tone. " _A sniper tried to shoot you, and then someone tried to kidnap you and now someone is at your door in the middle of the night. Tell me who it is right-!"_ she hung up the phone before he could even finish that sentence that was starting to sound like an order.

"Is everything alright?" Katie looked over to Tommy who'd been standing there watching her the entire time.

"Everything's fine. I'm just-" her phone rang again, but she didn't answer it.

"Are you going to answer that?"

"Nope."

"Is it Oliver?"

"I like to call him asshole, but yes it is."

"Answer it." Katie lifted her eyes back to him. "Look Oliver Queen isn't the best guy in the world, trust me, but I know the moment he found out someone took you, he freaked out in a way I've never seen before. Just answer it." Katie let out deep groan before answering the phone and bringing it to her ear.

"I'm fine Oliver" she said it so calm and sweet, that she could practically feel his annoyance radiating from the phone. "Tommy showed up and offered to take me out to dinner and I accepted."

" _Dinner?"_

"Yes, it's a meal that people eat at night."

" _You're infuriating."_

"And you're annoying, so it balances out. Look I have to go now-"

" _You can't-"_

"Yes I can Oliver. I can do whatever I want to do because my driver's license says so." and with that Katie ended the call and looked over to Tommy. "I'm starving. Are you starving?" she headed down the stairs toward the door. "Let's go eat."

When the call ended Oliver huffed in anger. Diggle looked over to him from his place behind the wheel and shook his head.

"Not a good call, huh?"

"That woman is so damn-" he growled because he couldn't even think of a single word to describe how damn insufferable she was. "I'm trying to protect her and she won't let me."

"Maybe she isn't looking for someone to protect her Oliver." Diggle said and Oliver looked over to him. "Why don't you finally just admit what this really is about?"

"What are you talking about?"

"C'mon Oliver, we all see it. This change that's happening with you. That darkness that used to be in your eyes, doesn't seem as dark since Twinkie came to town and you know it." Oliver didn't say anything as he turned to look out the window. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I think it good for you to have this light in yourself that you're holding onto. I just think if you want to keep it, then you're going to have to admit that it's there and who's responsible for it." The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, because nothing kills a room like cold, hard truth.

Tommy and Katie ended up at one of Starling's famous pizzaria's, Marlo's, where Katie hadn't been in a very long time. Tommy watched as her eyes seemed to glaze over the place in a subtle amazement. When she met his eyes she chuckled at herself.

"I'm being a dork aren't I?" she asked with a shake of her head. "Sorry"

"No, you're fine. So I'm guessing it's been a long time since you've been here?"

"You can say that" Katie said once again staring, this time her eyes falling on a booth that sat in a corner on the other side of the restaurant.

"Let me guess, Oliver used to bring you here?" a very unattractive snort slipped through Katie's lips, which caused her to just burst into laughter. "Was that a funny question?" Katie looked at him with an expectant look. "What?"

"You're joking" he still looked lost and the smile dropped from Katie's face. "No, Oliver has never brought me here. Me and Oliver never really hung out that often outside of our houses." Tommy quirked an eyebrow and Katie chuckled. "And not in the way you're thinking. We usually just hung out. Listened to music, watched old tv shows, talked about stuff nobody else seemed to want to hear." she looked around the restaurant again.

"So you were the other best friend."

"No, I was the secret best friend." Katie corrected turning back to him. "Oliver was too popular, too perfect to ruin his image by being seen with the weird girl whose mother committed suicide." she looked down to her partially eaten pizza trying to ignore the knotting of her stomach at the mention of her mother.

"You know I'm sorry, right?" he said and Katie glanced up in confusion. "I was a total asshole from middle school, to high school to you."

"We were kids, it's fine. Trust me, I'm not holding on to any of that stuff."

"No, you're just holding on to Oliver." Tommy replied and Katie looked as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. "You shouldn't" that she didn't expect and he could tell from the look on her face. "It's just since he's been back, he's not our Oliver."

"What do you mean?" Katie asked leaning in closer. Tommy turned away, which was the equivalent of Oliver rubbing the back of his neck. There was something he wanted to say, he just wasn't sure he should. "Tommy, what's up?" he turned back to her and opened his mouth, but closed it again. It was that moment that she realized what was happening. "Fuck me, you know don't you?"

"Know what?" he asked with a quirked brow as he too leaned in closer to the table.

"That a certain friend of ours has a Katniss Everdeen fetish" she replied and his eyes widened as he fell back in his seat. "You do know."

"Well yeah I know, I just didn't know you knew." Tommy shook his head. "I can't believe he told you before he told me."

"Well in all honesty he didn't tell me, it was either I find out or he was going to die." Tommy just stared at her with a look of bewilderment. "It's a long story, but yeah I know."

"And you're alright with this?" he asked and Katie shrugged. "He's a-" he glances around the restaurant making sure no one was listening before leaning in closer to Katie and whispering, "murderer." Katie turned away from him, the term murderer not holding the same meaning to her as it once did. "I mean Ollie, our Ollie would never- could never-"

"Tommy!" Katie snapped unintentionally startling the man. "Did you ever think that our Ollie wasn't the best guy and that Oliver, the man who risks his life to do what he thinks is right, maybe is."

"Killing is never right, no matter the reason." Tommy said and his words hit her in a way she didn't expect. She turned away from him hoping he wouldn't be able to see the affect of his words. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I just-" the man sitting at the table across the restaurant met her eyes for a full minute before averting them. He glanced over to another direction which Katie followed to a woman, who too met Katie's eyes before looking down to her menu. Katie's fingers curled in to fists on her knees as she turn to look at Tommy.

"Twinkie, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I just need to use the bathroom." Katie said with a smile as she stood to her feet. "I'll be right back."

"Alright."

Katie kept her eyes straight ahead as she headed to the bathroom, but she could see out of the corner of her eyes as the man across the restaurant stood to his feet. Once she pushed inside of the bathroom, she glanced underneath the stalls to make sure they were empty. It was when she verified that the coast was clear did she hear the sound of the door opening and closing behind her. The sound of a knife being unsheathed met her ears and so she stood up straight, inhaling a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

_Her eyes were closed, but she could hear the dragging of the dirt underneath is feet as Lian moved around her. She remained completely still letting her ears be her guide. There was slight gust of wind as he swung his stick, and Katie quickly lifted her own to block the attack. He tried a couple of times after that, each hit she anticipated and blocked._

" _Good." he said still moving around her slowly. A mischievous idea hit him and so he stopped moving and let the room fall in to silence. He swung the stick at her, which she blocked easily. He swung again, but stopped short, so when she went to block, he quickly swung a leg under her feet tripping her and sending her falling on her butt. "But there's still much for you to learn."_

" _You cheated." Katie said looking up to him from her spot on the floor. He shook his head before moving to stand above her._

" _What's the number one rule of combat?" he asked holding up a finger._

" _Never talk about fight club" Katie muttered to which Lian swung his stick to hit, but she rolled out of the way before the stick come come in to contact with her body. She tried to reach for her own stick, but he swung at her hand and she had to pull it back. "Are you crazy?" he simply kept swinging the stick at her, each swing getting closer and closer. She finally jumped to her feet just as the stick was swung again. He stopped just inches away from her head. "Never underestimate your opponent." she grit through her teeth as she sent a glare to him._

" _That's right." he said dropping the stick to the ground before stalking toward her, so close that he was towering above her. "Never underestimate your opponent. When you fight, you don't fight to win. You fight to survive, and you better damn well believe your opponent is doing the same. You call it cheating, I call it surviving." he turned his back to her and stalked away. "Again!"_

When her eyes opened, she was no longer Katie. She wasn't Twinkie. She wasn't a doctor. She was that monster that was created from those three years in hell. She heard the sound of the floor squeak as he took a step forward followed by rush of wind as the knife was push toward her. In a move too quick for the man's eyes, Katie dodged the knife before she trapped the offending hand underneath her arm. The man tried to pull it free, even pressing down causing it to tear through her skin. Without hesitations she snatched the knife from his hand and shot her head back, with full force, hitting him right in the nose, sending him stumbling back. Her hand tightened around the knife, ignoring the stinging in her side, as she turned to finally face her attacker who held his bloody nose while glaring at her.

"Big mistake." he growled through his crooked teeth.

"Come show me how big a mistake it was" Katie taunted and without hesitation the man came rushing toward her. She dodged out of the way quickly, and the man ran straight into the wall behind her. "That's just sad" she turned around to see him turn toward her. His fists closed tight and she knew he was going to once again try to hit her. She prepared to once again dodge him, when the sound of a familiar throaty laughter drifted to her hears. Distraction at this point was dangerous. She needed to be focused and able to expect anything, but as she stood there, that laughter that couldn't be wouldn't stop and so against every instinct in her body, she turned toward the mirror and there standing was the man who haunted her dreams.

" _Whose going to save you now?"_ he taunted her, still laughing.

She knew he wasn't there. Knew he was part of the darkness inside of her, but for that split second she couldn't take her eyes off of him. And such a distraction allowed a fist to slam right into her gut. A curse hissed through her teeth as she turned back to her attacker and hunched over, her arms wrapped around her middle. The man reached to grab her, but she jumped back out of his grasp. Without a second thought, she turned and ran for the door, but he was fast behind her, slamming the door closed just as she'd barely pulled it open. He grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled her from the door, and before he knew what was happening, Katie had twisting herself around and shoved her elbow into his gut repeatedly and until he finally let her go. The moment he did, she landed a kick right into his stomach shoving him violently back into the wall. She didn't give him the opportunity to recover before she was running toward him, and jumping on him. His fist were relentless as they punched her side trying to get her off of him, but she took each hit with a grunt, but never loosening. Instead she tossed herself around him, so her arms were hooked one of her arms around his neck from behind, while the other pressed his own knife to his jugular.

"Tell me who you are!" she demanded pressing the knife deeper against his neck. The man's response was to shove himself backward, slamming Katie's back against the wall. He took a step forward, about to do it again, when Katie realized how this story ended and after that, what she had to do was simple. The door opened, and appeared the woman who she pegged as her attacker's partner. Well at least she would have an audience.

Tommy sat glancing down to his cell phone as he awaited Katie's return. It was getting pretty late and he figured they should be getting home. He waved a hand for the bill before only for the clerk behind the counter to wave him off. A confused Tommy stood to his feet and walked over.

"Um, hey, I could I get the bill?"

"It's taken care of" the man said with a slight smile. "What would I look like charging the boss?"

"The boss?" Tommy muttered with a shake of his head. "Look, I think you have the wrong person. I-"

"Not you" the clerk replied. "Ms. Robins."

"Wait, Katie?" the man just nodded before nudging his head to a wall of pictures the were beside the counter. Tommy glanced up to the wall before spotting one in the center that held a familiar face. "Is that-" It was Jacob standing beside the clerk in front of a pizza, both with huge smiles.

"My restaurant was failing, and one day Mr. Robins came in with his daughter and sat in that booth right there." The man said pointing to the booth in the far corner of the restaurant. Tommy suddenly realizes Katie's wandering gaze when they arrived. "Him and his daughter shared a pepperoni and said it was the best pizza they'd had in Starling. I told him that it wouldn't last and that we were closing because of competition and he wouldn't hear of it." the man smiled. "My life changed that day. He looked me in the eyes and said that I was going to be alright and I was. He bought my restaurant and kept me in total control of everything. With the money he invested we were able to survive and able to show people how good we are. I was able to send my kids to college. A good college" the man looked back over to the picture and sighed. "Such a shame he's gone." he turned back to Tommy and smile. "So as long as that girl comes into this restaurant, she'll never have to pay for anything." Tommy simply nodded with a smile before turning and returning to his table.

He sat there glancing down to his watch, realizing that Katie had been gone for a while. He was about to check on her when he heard a vibrating sound coming from her bag. Maybe it was an invasion of privacy, but he didn't really care. He slipped a hand into her bag snagging her phone out.

"Oh, Oliver." he muttered seeing the man's number on the screen along with a message of numerous missed calls from him. Tommy decided to put him out of his misery and so he answered and brought the phone to his ear.

" _Could you seriously not answer your phone!"_ Oliver snapped not bothering to wait for a greeting. _"After everything that's happened, I mean everything, you can't do something as simple as answer your phone. Someone wants to hurt you and you-"_

"Wait, what?" Tommy interrupted.

" _Who is this?"_

"It's Tommy. What do you mean someone's trying to hurt her?"

" _Tommy, I didn't'-wait, where's Twinkie?"_

"Bathroom. Now answer the question."

" _Tommy, I don't have time. I need to talk to Katie right now."_

The sound of a gun shot cut through the room and everything after that moment happened too fast. People were screaming and running trying to get out of there

" _Tommy!"_ Oliver's voice yelled from the phone.

Tommy was already on his feet and turning toward the bathrooms. He had to push his way through the running people. When he finally made it through the crowd to the bathroom, he quickly pushed open the door with more force probably necessary, unintentionally bumping into something. It wasn't until he was actually inside did he see that what he hit was actually a woman holding a gun and at her feet was man lying face down surrounded by a pool of blood. The woman grabbed her head with one hand as she turned to her gun about to point it at Tommy, but before he knew what was happening, Katie was running toward the woman. Katie grabbed the woman's gun hand, holding it out trying to pry it from the woman's grasp. A few shots rang out in the struggle before Katie slammed the woman's hand against the sink, knocking the gun from her hand to the floor. In the woman's attempt to retrieve the gun from the floor, Katie grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back before grabbing the back of the woman's head and slamming it against the bathroom mirror repeatedly until the woman was knocked unconscious. The moment the woman's body fell to the floor, Katie bent down and rummaged through the woman's pockets before finding her phone.

"Katie!" Tommy yelled finally finding words. Katie glanced up to him as if just only noticing his presence. "What the actual fuck is going on here?!" she simply climbed over the woman's body and began rummaging through the man's pocket and snagging his wallet and cell phone, stuffing it all into the pockets of her jacket. With her hand she roughly pushed her ruffled hair from her face. "Katie, what-"

"You need to leave" Katie said her voice rough, something he didn't expect. She stalked over to him and grabbed his arm before pulling him from the bathroom into a small hall. When she spotted a back door marked exit, she pulled him with her. "You went to the bathroom, heard gun shots and ran out the back door."

"What are you talking about?" Tommy asked, glancing back down the hall when he hears sirens and loud voices. Before he could ask anymore questions, Katie was pulling him out the door out into a dark alley. They looked down one end, able to spot people along with the flashing lights of police and paramedics.

"Tommy look at me!" Tommy turned back to her as she grabbed the front of his clothes pulling him closer. "You went to the bathroom, you heard gun shots and then you ran out the back door." "Katie what is going on?" he asked almost pleading for her to tell him what was happening.

"It doesn't matter-"

"What do you mean it doesn't matter! I just saw-" he turned to the door and shook his head. "I don't know what hell I just saw."

"You saw nothing" Katie replied and he met her eyes. "You went to the bathroom, heard gun shots and ran out the back door. That's it. Nothing in that bathroom had anything to do with you and I will be damned if you get pulled into this any kind of way. Do you understand?"

"No I do not understand" He was confused and lost and getting angry at the lack of answers. He was tired of the lies and secrets from the people he thought of as friend. No, that he thought of as family. "What the hell happened back there?"

"That-" Katie turned to the door and let out a shaky breath. "That was me realizing that I should've followed my first mind." she turned back to Tommy who watched her closely as if looking for something in her. "I shouldn't be here. I'm sorry I brought you into this." she placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry" and without a warning Katie turned ran down the dark end of the alley as fast as she could.

"Katie!" Tommy called about to run after her, but before he could the police came bursting out the door, their guns drawn. Tommy's hands shot up into the air as his eyes turned down that dark alley.

The wind blew her hair across her face as she ran down the darkened streets of Starling. She only stopped when her limbs began to ache, dipping behind a nearby alley. Her back fell against the brick wall of a building, her chest heaving as she hears the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears. She suddenly feels a sting on her side, so she drops her head and looks down to a growing red stain in her shirt.

"Shit" she curses, placing a hand on the wound. She closes her eyes and takes as many breaths as she can knowing she's going to need them. She has to run again, she just doesn't know where she'll be running to. The only thing she knew for certain was that she had to get the hell our of Starling City. Katie peeks her head from the alley to see the streets are still clear. The distant sounds of sirens prove that they won't be for long, so she once again bolts down the street.

The story worked. Tommy couldn't believe the story worked, but it did. The cops burst out the back door with their guns drawn, he told them what Katie told him to say and that was it. He wasn't allowed to leave, none of the customers were. They all stood outside the restaurant being questioned. Tommy couldn't help but feel nervous. His head was still reeling from what he saw in that bathroom. He was starting to realize that he really didn't know the people in his life. A familiar car pulled up and Tommy simply sighed.

"You know when I got the call of shots being fired at my favorite pizza joint, I didn't expect my daughter's boyfriend to be involved." Detective Lance said as he walked over to Tommy. "I also didn't expect you to be the only customer who'd went out the back door."

"I was in the bathroom, and-"

"Yeah, I know your story." Lance interrupted. "What were you doing here tonight Tommy?"

"I wanted pizza and this place is the best in town." Lance looked at the young man for just a second and just knew he wasn't saying something.

"Sir!" an officer called and Lance tore his questioning stare from Tommy. The officer waved for the detective to come over.

"Call my daughter, tell her you're alright." Lance said turning back to the man. "But don't go anywhere. We're not finished." Tommy simply nodded before reaching into his pocket and pulled out two phones. He noticed the detective's suspicious look.

"One's personal, the other for business." Tommy said. It was the first lie he'd said and he just hoped it wouldn't bite him in the ass later. Lance just shook his head before heading over to the officer.

"What do we got Banks?" Lance asked as he followed the officer into the restaurant.

"I honestly don't know." the officer replied. Lance let his eyes scan over the restaurant for anything out of place. He spotted a few bags and purses that were discarded by customers as they ran for safety. Once they reached the ladies room, the officer carefully pushed open the door and revealed the gruesome scene. His eyes looked down to the body of the man who lay on the ground lifeless, to the gun that was on the floor and then up to the shattered mirror.

"Any ID's on the bodies?"

"Nothing. No driver's license, no cell phones. We're running their prints now to see if they're in the system" Lance simply nodded before moving closer to the man's body and tilting his head slightly to get a good look at the tattoo on his neck.

"Cause of death?" Lance asks the Medical Examiner who was bent beside the body.

"It's pretty simple. Our John Doe's neck was slashed and our Jane Doe-" he looked up to the mirror. "Her face was slammed against that mirror repeatedly."

"Jane Doe?" Lance asked and the ME nodded.

"She was found unconscious when we arrived on the scene. We shipped her to general right before you got here."

"I want to be informed the moment she's up and talking, you understand?" Lance's eyes went down to the man's body once again. "And I want to know who this is"

"Yes sir." Lance glanced around the scene once more before turning and heading out. The smell was getting to him and he needed to get some air. When he stepped back outside, his eyes looked over to Tommy, to see the man wasn't alone.

"Of course" Lance muttered before heading in their direction. "Mr. Queen, what are you doing here?" Oliver's face was serious, too serious as he stared at Tommy. "Mr. Queen-"

"I heard about the gun shots and thought I remembered my sister saying something about coming here." Oliver replied turning to the detective. "But I just talked to her and she said her and her friends made other plans."

"I'm seeing your face at too many of my crime scenes." Lance said staring between the two men. "And I don't like it."

"Don't worry, I'm leaving." Oliver said turning another look to Tommy before giving the detective a nod. They watched as the man turned and walked back toward his bike.

Oliver got on his bike, slipping his helmet on just as his phone rang. He pressed the button on the side of his helmet to answer it, before pulling off.

"Felicity, tell me you've got something."

_"Oliver, I'm sorry. She hasn't gone home, or come here. The only thing I had was the GPS signal in her cell phone."_

"And that led to Tommy." Oliver muttered angrily. "He said he walked into the bathroom after the gun shot and saw a woman with a gun aimed at Katie. Then somehow Katie got the gun from the woman's hand and knocked her unconscious."

_"Whoa"_

"Now she's running. Look, she's probably freaking out, and-" it suddenly hit him. What he would do if he were in her situation. "She's going to leave Starling."

_"You think she would?"_

"Yeah, this got close to Tommy and she wants to end it before it gets to anyone else. Search all airport, buses and trains for her. and-"

_"I got something."_ Felicity Smoak never ceased to amaze him. " _She just bought a bus ticket at Starling Transit to Central City. Her bus leaves in a fifteen minutes. Oliver-"_

"I got it. Thanks Felicity." The call ended and Oliver pressed the gas as fast as it would go. He made it to the bus station in five minutes. He ran inside, letting his eyes scan the practically empty station for her familiar face. It wasn't until he saw the back of someone's head, sitting across the station with a baseball cap, did he realize it was her. Without hesitation he ran over her. "Katie-" her head was down. "Katie?" he dropped to his knees in front of her, snatching the sunglasses from her face to see her eyes closed. "No, no. Katie, what-" his eyes looked down to her shirt and the growing blood stain. "Fuck!" he placed a hand on her cheek and her eyes fluttered open but barely.

"Liver" she muttered looking into his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm here." he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, to press a familiar number. He placed it to his ear, "Diggle I need the van to Starling Transit, now" He ended the call and stood to his feet before reaching over and scooping her into his arms. "I got you."

Oliver doesn't think he could hold on to the woman currently in his arms any tighter. As soon as Diggle pulled up in the van, he hopped inside glad they hadn't drawn too much attention.

"Oliver-"

"Just drive the car Digg" Oliver said his tone leaving no room for argument. He already knew what Diggle wanted to talk about. It's what he'd been wanting to talk about ever since they found out about the incident at the restaurant. At the moment Oliver could only focus on one thing and that was getting Katie better. "So where are we going, the hospital?"

"No, hospital is going to ask too many questions. Take her to the foundry." Oliver glanced down to his hand that he held firmly against her side. "I think it's just a flesh wound, it doesn't feel too deep." It didn't take long for Diggle to get them to the foundry. The moment they arrived, Oliver carefully carried Katie inside.

"Oh my God!" Felicity said standing to her feet and rushing over. As Oliver laid Katie's body on the metal slab in the middle of the room, Felicity got a god look at all the blood that was on both of their clothing. "What happened?" Oliver didn't say anything as he stripped off his own jacket before reaching down and completely tearing open Katie's white t-shirt, exposing her polka dot bra and body full of bruise and scars. His eyes focused on nothing but the bleeding wound in her side.

"Felicity-"

"I'm already gone." Felicity said before rushing off to get the first aid kit.

"Diggle-"

"Weird healing herbs. I'm getting it." Diggle said before going over to the chest that was across the room.

Oliver pressed a hand against the wound before glancing up to Katie's face to see her eyes fluttering, and her mouth moving. He leaned in close to her and ran his hand over her hair.

"You're going to be alright." he spoke, when he caught some of what she was saying. He turned his ear to her lips to make sure he'd heard her right. When the words passed from her lips once more, his face scrunched in confusion as words not in English came out of her mouth.

"Oliver, here it is." Felicity's voice spoke beside him. He quickly stood up straight and went to work on cleaning and dressing the wound. He had questions and now he needed her to wake up so she could answer them. That's what he told himself, but in reality all he really needed right now was for her to just wake up and be ok.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if this is a story you’re interested in, I will post the second half. Let me know in the comments!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Two Hearts, One Beat**

_"It's easy to fool the eye but it's hard to fool the heart."_

_-Al Pacino_

* * *

_His breath tickled the back of Katie's neck as he stood so close behind her. It made her stomach turn, but she didn't show it. She wouldn't dare show weakness, not now when her captor/tormentor now punished every indiscretion she now made. Whether it was a show of weakness, or even the inclination of fear, then she would some how be reprimanded. At the moment, she held the cold steel of a silver .9mm, fully loaded and ready to be shot in her hands. It wasn't the first time. The first time, her hands shook uncontrollably, as the small item in her hand felt like it weighed more than what it should. Up until that point, Katie rarely even looked at a gun that wasn't held by a police officer or person of the military. That first day with the gun, when Lian saw her hands shaking, he hissed in disapproval before taking the gun from her hand. That's the day the punishments happened. He forced her her to stand with her back to the wall as he pointed the gun at her._

_"What do you fear when you hold this gun?"_

_"What the fuck do you think?!" she snapped watching him closely. She didn't know if he were bluffing or if he was being serious. She never could. "I don't want to kill anybody. I'm a doctor, I just-" he pulled the trigger and a bullet struck right beside Katie's ear. It didn't touch her, but she could feel the heat from the impact and dropped to the floor covering herself.  
_

_"Get up!" he ordered angrily. She didn't move, she couldn't move. Sure, when she signed up for doctor's without borders, she thought she'd be alright with a gun in her face, but now when it was happening, she just knew that she wasn't. "If you don't get up, I will pull this trigger again and it will pierce some part of your body." at this point...after months, she figured being here, his words were rarely in jest and so she took a deep breath and stood to her feet, pressing her back against the wall. "If forced to make the decision whether to kill or be killed, what do you choose?" she didn't say anything, and his gun hand rose about to shoot again._

_"Kill!" Katie grit through her teeth angrily._

_"So if the intended purpose of this gun, or any weapon is to do just that, then what are you afraid of?" he asked and Katie looked at him long and hard before answering._

_"Losing my soul! Losing everything that I knew about me. Losing everything I was taught." Lian chuckled with a shake of his head as he walked over to her, once again bringing himself into her personal space._

_"Look where you are?" he asked his eyes scanning over the dark room, illuminated only by the lanterns on the wall. "You're in hell, remember?" he turned back to her with a smile that caused a chill to creep down her smile. "You lost your soul the moment you became mine." he pushed the gun in her hand. "I see any fear and we come right back to this spot, do you understand?" Katie simply nodded before taking the gun in her hand._

_The nine times after she held that gun, only three times did her hand shake. After being shot at three times, all with the fear that she was going to die, it seemed, that weight in Katie's hand lightened. The tenth time in fact, her entire body was completely still as she stared down to the target. He circled around her, watching her closely as he did all the time._

_"Now remember what I told" he said, his voice moving around her. "Breathe, and focus. That target maybe across the room, but to you it's staring you right in the face. Every detail, so when you take that shot, missing isn't even possible." he placed his hand on top of her gun hand, and she didn't dare flinch. "This is not a thing. It is an extension of your body. You control where it goes and where it doesn't. That target is death and you only get one shot to take it out, so make it count." he dropped his hand from hers and turned toward the target. "Shoot!" Katie didn't hesitate, she didn't shake, or quiver. Her eyes scanned over the target in one second and in the next she pulled the trigger. Lian clapped his hands slowly and loudly as he walked over to the target and looked at the perfect shot. "Bravo." he turned back to her and smile. "Next weapon"_

_"Next weapon?" Katie asked as he headed to the large chest that sat in the far corner of the room. "How many weapons are there?" the question made him laugh as he pulled opened the chest and pulled out a bow and a couple arrows._

_"All of them." he replied smiling back to her._

_Katie simply stared at him and knew then that by the time she left here, she truly wouldn't have a soul left._

"When is a good time Oliver!" a voice snapped angrily and Katie's eyes snapped open. The moment she opened her eyes she realized she wasn't at the bus station any more. She turned her head to the side, a glass case filled with arrows coming in sights and she couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips. "I get she's your friend, and you want to protect her, but how can you be sure that we're not the ones who need protection?"

"Diggle despite what you believe, I know her and-"

"Let's be honest. You don't know that woman as well as you think you do and because of that, we're harboring a murderer."

"If you think she's a murderer, I can't possibly imagine what you think of me!"

"Hey, guys. We need to cool it, alright?" Felicity interjected moving to stand between the men who were getting louder and moving closer which she knew wouldn't end well. "We don't know the mechanics of this situation, and until we do-"

"If we do." Diggle interrupted. "These secrets your friend is so intent on keeping are going to bite us in the ass." Oliver shook his head before turning to see Katie standing on her feet.

"Katie-"

"He's right. You know he's right." She grabbed her jacket from a nearby table. "You shouldn't have brought me here." she was about to move toward the door, but he stalked over to block her. "Oliver-"

"Did you kill that man out of on some sick, twisted, enjoyment you have for killing people?" she looked back at him like he was crazy.

"What, no. They must have followed us and when I went to the bathroom, they followed and-" she shook her head not even wanting to think back on that moment which was hard. It was still playing on replay in her head, and could she feel every kick, every punch, and the smell of blood still was under her nose.

"There's a man dead from a laceration to the neck and a woman whose in the hospital unconscious from blows to the head." Diggle said walking over to stand beside Oliver. "Excuse me for being slow on the uptake, but did we already find out that you held those abilities?"

"Did you know I could fight, I believe so" Katie said staring at the man with hard eyes. "Did you know that if put into certain circumstances, I choose to be the one to survive, well I just assumed." she turned back to Oliver. "And now I need to leave." she moved to walk around them, but Oliver grabbed her arms and pushed her back. "Oliver, just-" she punched his chest with barely enough strength for it to even hurt. "Just let me go." she went to hit him again, but he caught her fist and pulled her to his chest and she could do nothing but stay there. She dropped her head to his chest and sighed.

"Guys, can you give us a minute?"

"Oliver-"

"One minute Diggle." He grit through his teen angrily. "Just give me one minute." Diggle wanted to argue, but knew that at this point it was useless. He and Felicity turned and just headed up the stairs to the club where they would wait.

"You need to take it easy on him." Felicity said as she followed behind Diggle who shook his head. "He cares about her and-"

"And it's that affection that's clouding his judgment when it comes to her." Diggle replied turning back to her. He wanted to jump on this Twinkie train, but time after time she created questions no one else seemed too interested in getting answered. "Felicity, those crime scene photos, they don't teach that in some taekwondo class. That was professional."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, it's time for Oliver to start asking her the tough questions. Starting with what the hell happened in those three years she was missing."

"He won't do that. He won't push her, because he can relate." Felicity walked over to Diggle and shrugged. "I know right now you're worried about her being here when we don't know much about her, but Oliver trusts her and she so do I. I think she's gotten herself into a bad situation and she just needs a little help to get out. Plus how much do you really know about Oliver's time on the island?" Diggle turned away at the question. "We know what he chooses to tell us when he's ready. We have to give her the same courtesy."

"His time on the island hasn't bitten us in ass."

"Not yet it hasn't."

Oliver's arms wrapped around and he could feel as her arms came around to his back. He felt her release a long, tired breath.

"Twinkie-"

"Oliver I don't want to hurt you. I don't want my life to hurt you and your friends." she pulled from the hug and met his eyes. "I don't know when, where, and hell I don't know why, but I know that's going to happen." she shook her head before turning her back to him. "I brought Tommy into this." she turned back to him. "It was pizza. Pizza with me leads to a gun being put in your face. I need to leave-"

"You're not leaving."

"Why, because you need me here?!"

"Yes!"

"Well I need you alive!" she walked over to him and placed her hand on his chest. "I need your heart to beat and I need for you to protect your city." she looked up to him and once again met his intense gaze. "I need-" Katie stopped and closed her eyes and it almost happened. Oliver almost grabbed her and kissed her. He wanted to. He really, really wanted to, but didn't. He couldn't. He had a million and one reasons to justify why kissing her was a bad idea. None of them ever measured up to that one reason he had for why he should just do it. But he didn't. He couldn't. He just couldn't. "I don't know what I need." she sighed when her hand felt something heavy in her pockets. She suddenly remembered why and so she reached into the pockets of her jacket, finding the cell phones and wallet from her attackers.

"Katie, you can't leave, you-"

"You're right." she said turning back to a look of surprise on his face. "I can't leave. Not yet." he looked down to her hand. "I need Felicity to look this stuff over and see what she can find."

"What are you going to do?"

"I’m going to go to the hospital and I'm going to have a little conversation with my new friend." she moved to walk around him, but he once again caught her arm. "If you try to stop-"

"I'm not. I'm going to go with you." that surprised her. What she didn't know was that Oliver was simply hoping to gain more insight into her past and also keep her from getting caught.

"Fine, but no hood on this one." Katie said and he couldn't help but smile. "You freak me out when you wear that thing."

It didn't make sense. Those four words were repeating over and over in Tommy's mind as he entered he and Laurel's apartment. When Laurel finally arrived, she found Tommy pacing back and forth in their living room.

"Tommy?" she said dropping her bag on the chair before walking over to bring her arms around him in a hug. "What's wrong?" Tommy sighed, as he tightened his arms around his girlfriend. He literally didn't know what to say. Hell, he didn't know if she would even believe the truth. "Tommy?" Laurel pulled back to see his face after receiving no answer.

"Did you hear what happened down at Marlo's?" Laurel's face scrunched in confusion at the question, but nodded.

"Yeah, I heard something about shots being fired. Why?"

"I was there" Tommy replied and he felt Laurel's grasp on his arms tighten. "I'm fine."

"What were you doing there? I thought you said you were going to order in and watch movies tonight?"

"I was, but then I saw the news about the merger and realized I hadn't seen Twinkie-"

"Twinkie?" Laurel asked interrupting him. She had never said it out loud, but Katie had become a very annoying entity in her life. Even though they never came face to face before her father's funeral, Laurel could barely go anywhere with Oliver or Tommy without her name popping up. It was strange because she'd known both Tommy and Oliver a long time and she only remembers the pair always making fun of Twinkie. Well more like Tommy making fun of her, whereas Oliver usually defended her.

"I just stopped by her place and offered her to go to Marlo's. She went to the bathroom, and I was at our table when I heard the shots fired."

"Are you alright? Is Katie alright?" that's the question Tommy wasn't sure how to answer that question. He knew he definitely wasn't alright, and well he had no idea where or how Katie was. "Tommy, what happened?" Tommy met her eyes and shook his head.

"I honestly don't know." Tommy muttered dropping on the couch beside them and burying his face in his hands. Laurel sat beside him, running a hand on his back.

It was a strange turn of events that led Oliver to being the one to follow and not lead. When they arrived at the hospital Oliver stayed close behind Katie as they entered. He watched her closely, how calculated she moved and he couldn't help but be a bit impressed.

"Do you know where you're going?" Oliver asked and Katie glanced over to him and shook her head. "Well that's just great."

"Shut up." she said as they walked up to the front desk, the nurse behind the desk was too engrossed with what she was typing that she didn't even look up to them.

"Please fill this out and wait for your name to be called." the nurse muttered placing a clip board in front of them.

"Actually, I wanted-"

"Emergency alert!" a voice blared over the PA system. "Room 6325. Emergency alert!" and without a word the nurses behind the desk went running toward the elevators. Katie and Oliver stood there for a moment, before Katie turned to Oliver with a shrug.

"Saved by the bell." she muttered before turning and walking around the desk.

"What are you doing?" Oliver asked his eyes suddenly scanning the area to make sure the coast was clear. There were only a couple of people in the waiting room who weren't even looking in their direction.

"How else do you think we're going to find this woman?" Katie asked as she began typing on the computer. "Now we just have to hope there weren't a crap load of Jane Does brought in tonight." Oliver turned to Katie when her fingers stopped moving. "Got her." she looked over to Oliver and nudged her head toward the elevator. "Let's go."

The rode the elevator in silence, when Katie suddenly placed a hand on her side. How unbelievable it may seem, it was only now that she remembered being stabbed. She began lifting her shirt, to which Oliver looked on curiously.

"Why doesn't this hurt as much as it should?" she asked looking down to the bandage. She lifted her eyes to Oliver who glanced down to the bandage before meeting her eyes. "What did you do?"

"There were these herbs that I brought with me from the island" Oliver said turning back toward the doors. He heard Katie snort, and despite his best judgment he turned back to her. "What's that noise?"

"Nothing, I'm just imagining your rescuers showing up, like ' _hey we're here to save you'_ and you're all like, ' _oh thank the heavens, I'm ready, but let me grab my herbs'_." she turned toward him, her face twitching trying to hold in her laughter.

"That's exactly how it went." Oliver replied sarcastically, unable to stop the smile from tugging it at his lips. "I hope you know I hate you" because only Twinkie could crack an awful joke about his time on the island and actually make him want to laugh about it.

"Aww, I wuv you too Liver." Katie said just as the elevator's opened. Katie moved to walk off, but Oliver grabbed her arm to stop her. "What are you-" the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and her head shot up as she began looking around the floor.

"Get back on the elevator." Oliver ordered, trying to push her back, but Katie reached up and grabbed his hands to stop him.

"I'm not going anywhere." Katie said tilting her head slightly. "Whoever you are, just so you're know, you're horrible at skulking in the shadows!" she called and Oliver glanced at her in annoyance, but his attention stayed focused on the surrounding. The hall was empty, void of any people at all which was strange in itself, but they knew someone was there. She took a step, but Oliver quickly grabbed her arm, before he felt someone behind them and he quickly turned around to see a man dressed in all black and a ski mask covering his face.

"Stay behind me." Oliver ordered, his eyes focused on the man in front of him.

"I would, if didn't have my own ninja to deal with." Katie replied and Oliver glanced over his shoulder to see indeed there was another masked man. He tossed his arm behind him, wrapping around her middle and turning them so he could look down both halls.

"When I give the word, I want you to get out of here and-"

"That's not how this plays out Liver." Katie spoke, her eyes too turning from masked man to mask man. "You take that one, and I'll take the short one."

"Katie-" before Oliver could even begin to protest the man on his right began moving toward him. "shit!" he cursed as he straightened his stance and Katie did the same. "Can you do this?"

"Three years Liver." Katie said stretching her neck from side to side. "I can do a lot." and without another word spoken Katie began walking toward the masked man on her left. Oliver only glanced her way for a second, before a fist was head in his direction. Katie walked over to the man, and as she did, she could feel that familiar rumble under her chest. She could feel that tingling under her finger tips. She thought that monster inside of her would only come out once tonight, but she was about to be proven wrong. When her feet planted in front of him, he didn't move an inch. "Who are you?" she couldn't see his mouth, but the corners of his eyes wrinkled and she just he was smiling underneath that mask. The man said something in a language that most definitely was not English, but she recognized it, had nightmares about it. She turned away from him for a moment, before he took the slight distraction to reach forward and wrap his hand around her neck and lift her from the ground as if it were nothing.

"Katie!" Oliver said catching a glimpse of the scene. He was about to go over to her, but the man he was fighting was proving to be a very good fighter. The man wrapped his arm around Oliver's neck from behind attempting to stop the air from getting to his lungs. Oliver stood there pulling at the man's, arm while watching Katie being held in the air, her feet dangling beneath her.

Katie glared at the man, her face turning red as he cuts off her air supply. She could see the glee in his eyes, that look you have when you just know you've won.

_Never be caught off guard. It was something Lian made sure to pound in Katie's head. She was to always expect the unexpected at all times. She assumed she understood that, but it was clear she didn't one night as she slept when a hand clamped over her mouth, and someone laid on top of her straddling her room was completely dark, not allowing her to see the assailant, but when hot breath tickled her lips she knew whoever it was, was only mere inches from her face. She tried to scream for help, but the hand over her mouth forced her cries to come out muffled._

_"Pretty girl plays in hell." a deep male voice said, but it wasn't Lian's. It was someone else. "Bound to meet a couple demons." His wet tongue slid across her cheek as a throaty moan escape his lips. "You taste good pretty girl." and the laughed that followed sent a chill through her body._

_The man's hand reached under her shirt and in that second Katie snapped. She jerked up her knee and the yelp that escaped the man's lips let her know that she hit her intended target. He grabbed his sore privates and practically rolled off of her. The moment he did, Katie's eyes went to the open door and ran as her feet could take her. The halls were dark, illuminated by lanterns along the wall. She didn't know where she was going, but she wasn't going to stop, at least that's what she thought. There was a hall up ahead, and the moment she turned she ran straight into someone's hard body knocking her on her butt. She lifted her eyes to yet another man she didn't recognize, this one ridiculously huge._

" _Get up!" he practically growled, reaching down and wrapping his hand around her throat and lifting her off of the ground. Katie struggled as his hand tightened, cutting off her oxygen, but in that moment, the word's of Lian crept into her mind and so she fluttered her eyes closed and fell limp in the man's grasp. She heard him chuckle, but she also felt him lowering her back to the ground. His hand loosened around her neck, and he expected her to just fall limp to the ground, but she didn't. Instead she opened her eyes, and quickly kicked up a leg into his groin causing him to fall on his knees. She took a step toward him and smiled._

" _You get up bitch." she turned and spotted a door at the end of the hall that just had to be her salvation. Without a second thought she was running._

It's strange when you live a moment more than once. The hand around Katie's neck hadn't loosened and she knew it wouldn't. Not until she made it loosen. And just like she'd done once before, she fluttered her eyes until they closed and dropped her hands to her side falling limp. Oliver was calling her name, but she didn't move. She wouldn't destroy the illusion she was creating. The sound of his chuckle made it to her ears, and it made her want to roll her eyes. There just had to be some dumb bad guy play book, because they all did the same thing. As she expected he began loosening his grip, and lowering her to the ground. Once Katie felt her feet finally touch the floor, she knew what he expected to happen, so when her eyes opened she knew that wasn't it. He drew his hand back to her, but this time she turned her body, keeping him from grabbing her, before she grabbed his arm and tossed a kick right into his stomach. He stumbled back, hitting the wall, but he pushed himself off and ran at her. She dodged him quickly, kicking a foot right into the back of his calf knocking him down on one knee. He tried to get up, but Katie grabbed the back of his head and slammed it against the linoleum wall. When she heard something crack, she grabbed the back of his mask and slipped it off his face.

Oliver pushed the man so his back would hit the wall hard. Once he felt the man's arm loosen around his neck, he quickly pulled from his grasp before turning grabbing the man's arm and twisting him around so it's behind his back. Oliver slammed the man's face into the wall repeatedly until he felt the man's body go limp. At that point he just released him and let him fall to the floor. He heard a yelp of pain, and he quickly turned. It didn't come from Katie, but the man whose bloodied face she gripped in her hand. She was saying something to him, something he couldn't hear from his place and so he began moving toward them. Before he knew what was happening, she grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face against the wall once causing him to drop to the ground unconscious. She stood there, her chest heaving out rough breaths and her eyes locked on the man's body in front of her. Oliver took a couple of more steps, now able to see the man's face that was totally covered in strange tattoos. He looked back up to Katie who hadn't taken her eyes off of him before reaching out a hand to snap her out of it, but before he could her hand quickly shot out grabbing him. Her eyes cut to him and a look of remorse washed over her face as she quickly released his hand.

"Sorry." she said glancing down to the man before turning and walking down the hall.

"Katie-"

"Now is not the time Oliver."

"Fine, as long as we agree that at some point in the near future will be the right time." Oliver stated looking over to her as they walked. She simply glanced over to him and nodded before stopping.

"Why is this floor empty?" Katie asked scanning the barren halls. "I don't-" she looked over to Oliver whose eyes were locked onto something. When she followed his gaze, she saw an opened door, but it was the feet of someone lying on the ground from inside the room that caught her attention. "Please don't be a dead cop." she muttered as they slowly made their way toward the room. Oliver shot out an arm to stop Katie as he peeked inside the room. He looked down to the body to see that it was in fact an officer. Katie pushed his arm away and walked around to look inside the room. The moment she saw the officer on the floor she quickly knelt down beside him and placed her fingers on his neck. "He's still breathing."

"Not sure about her." Oliver said and Katie followed his eyes to the bed where the woman laid with a pillow over her face.

"No, no, no." Katie muttered standing to her feet and quickly running over and tossing the pillow aside. She brought her ear to the woman's chest and didn't hear anything. "Fuck!" she placed her hands on the woman's chest and began CPR.

"Katie, we have to-" Oliver was cut off by the woman on the bed, who suddenly gasped loudly and lifting off the bed slightly. The woman's eyes widened as she looked over to Katie who was standing above her. Without warning she grabs Katie's arm and pulls her closer.

"They won't stop." she weezed through her bandaged lips. "You broke the rules and you know what that means."

"I do, but you were supposed to kill me and you failed, so I think that means you broke the rules too." Katie replied before leaning in close to the woman. Oliver watched as her lips moved closer to the woman's ear before she whispered something he couldn't heat before she stood up straight and reached over pressing a button on a nearby machine. A couple of beeps sounded, followed by a whooshing sound before she released it and walked around the bed grabbing Oliver's arm and pulling him toward the door. "We have to get out of here now."

"Wait!" Oliver said not budging, his eyes going to the woman in the bed whose eyes were slowing drifting closed before the finally did. The loud beeping sound of the heart monitor rang out through the room, and Oliver turned his eyes to Katie and she had to turn away from anger they held. "What did you do?" she didn't say anything and so he took a step closer grabbing her arm tight enough for her to turn her eyes back to me. "Answer me!"

"I did her a favor, because if the people who are after me find her I doubt they would've let her go out so peacefully." she turned for the door, but his grasp on her never let up. "Oliver we have to get out of here, before more cops come and-"

"You know whose after you. This whole time you-"

"No, not this whole time. Just now. Now it makes sense."

"To you, but to me, I'm still lost. What the hell is going on?" she stared at him hard and her expression was unreadable, which only annoyed him more. She turned away to think for just a few moments before she turned back to him and nodded.

"Fine, but not now. Now we need to get out of here." Oliver wanted to argue, but knew she was right. The last thing they would be able to explain is the situation they found themselves standing in. He nodded before reaching out to taking her hand, which startled her as he pulled her with him out the door.

"This place is going to be crawling with cops and we-" Oliver stopped talking and walking as they walked back to the hall where they'd left two bodies. Now there was nothing but a few blood stained walls.

"Shit." Katie muttered and Oliver looked back to her. "Those guys, when you get them down, you kind of want them to stay down." Oliver simply shook his head, his hand slightly squeezing hers as he pulled them toward the elevator. They were only a few steps away when the elevator dinged, and the doors began to slide open. They heard the multiple voices, and just knew the cops were making an appearance sooner than anticipated. Oliver felt Katie tug his arm slightly and he turned back to see her nudging her head toward a door just a couple of feet away marked stairs. They quietly and quickly made their way out, but the moment they disappeared through that door, they run as fast as their feet can take them down those stairs. They had made it down a couple of flights before hearing the sound of the door bursting open above them. They stop and look up to see the many officers headed down the stairs.

"Oliver-"

"C'mon." Oliver said pulling Katie with him through the nearest door. They ended up in a more populated part of the hospital. They both took a deep breath before walking down the hall calmly hoping not to draw too much attention. Their eyes stayed straight ahead as they moved. They thought they could make it toward the elevator without any hitches, but soon they spotted two officers run off, their eyes scanning down both ends of the hall. One of the officers point in their direction and Oliver slowly begins to push Katie behind him as the officers ran in their direction. Relief only came when the officer continued pass them down the hall. When the pair finally made it onto the elevator and doors finally closed they both released a deep breath of exhaustion and relief. Oliver took out his cell phone and Katie glanced in his direction.

"Who are you calling?"

"Felicity, I'm going to have her see if she can identify those guys from the security footage."

"That won't be possible." Katie said turning toward the elevator doors. "The moment those guys walked in here, all security systems went down, or glitched or something else technological that would prevent them from being seen on those cameras. Those men were ghosts Oliver." Oliver lowered the phone from his ear and turned his body to her, but she didn't turn to him. She didn't want to see that expectant look in his eyes. When the doors slid open, Katie only took one step before Oliver quickly grabbed her hand. He stepped off the elevator as well, keeping his eyes peeled before pulling her toward the door. They were almost there, almost free until another obstacle got in the way.

"Dr. Robins?" a voice spoke and Katie stopped at turned, met with the confused look from one Dr. Christian James. "What are you doing here?"

"Well..." Katie started forcing a carefree smile to her face. "I, uh-" she chuckled with a shake of her head. "This may sound weird, but whenever I apply somewhere, I like to come and see it you know. Get a lay of the land I guess without any fluffers in my ear." she began looking around the halls.

"So, how did we do?" he asked folding his arms over his chest. Katie turned back to him and smile.

"Great, this place is totally great."

"Well, great." he said laughing. "I'm glad you liked it, and I can assure you that's even more rewarding to be employed here, but we can discuss that more at our interview next week." Katie nodded and watched as the man trailed to the intense glare of the guy holding on tight to Katie's hand. Katie followed his eyes and the smile on her face dropped.

"Oh, I'm sorry, this is my friend-"

"Oliver Queen," Oliver interrupted releasing Katie's hand and holding it out to the man. "And you're-"

"Dr. Christian James and I know you well. Your family along with Dr. Robins-"

"Katie's fine." Katie interrupted getting two very different looks from the two men.

"Both of your families have help raise so much money for the hospital." Christian said turning back to Oliver. "So you tagged along for Katie's covert operation"

"Yeah." Oliver said forcing a smile to his face as he turned to Katie. "What are friends for?"

"We were actually just leaving." Katie said seeing this situation was not going to lead anywhere positive. She turned back to Christian with a smile. "It was nice seeing you again and I look forward to our interview."

"Me too, and oh I meant to give this to you before but here." the doctor reached into the pocket of his lab coat pulling out a small business card and handing it out to her. "This has all my numbers, so if you want a real official tour of the place, call me. I can get you into the restricted areas." he joked and Katie faked laughed, glancing over to Oliver who didn't seem to amused at all. "Alright it was nice meeting you Mr. Queen, and Katie remember call me if you want to take me up on that offer."

"I definitely will." Katie said with a bright smile which the doctor returned before turning and heading off down the hall. The moment the man was a good distance, Oliver grabbed Katie's arm and began pulling her arm. "Hey, chill with the man handling."

"Sorry to interrupt your flirting, but we have more pressing matters to tend to." Oliver countered as they rushed out the door and headed straight for his bike.

Katie thought for sure that they were going to head straight for the foundry, but to her surprised they ended up home. It was late, like next day late and she figured he'd probably want to grill her without any witnesses. The moment he parked the bike, Katie hopped off and rushed toward the house, practically running.

"Twinkie!" he yelled, but she didn't stop. She opened the door and rushed inside. She underestimated the speed of the man behind her, because she hadn't even walked fully into the house before an arm wrapped around her waist from behind pulling her back. She heard the front door slam closed and in an instant her back was being pushed up against it, while Oliver stood in front of her blocking any chance for her to escape. He stared at her with that look she'd been trying to avoid. That look that demanded answers that she knew she couldn't give. "Katie-"

"It's not that simple." she interrupted him before he could even start. "You think that I can just say what you want me to say and then that will be that, but it won't. It will change things and I don't want to change things. This-" she dropped her eyes slightly with a shake of her head. "This us, this new us, I like it, and I-" she brought her eyes back to his. "I need it and for me to have it I can't bring you into something I'm not sure you'd make it out of." she tried to move around him, but he shot out and arm to stop her. "Oliver, just-" she didn't get the rest of her words out because she was suddenly plopped into a dream, or some alternate reality. That was the only explanation she could come up with for why Oliver Queen's lips slammed against hers in a way that overwhelmed her senses. In that moment she wasn't tired, or scared or worried...she was just a part of him. Like two hearts beating at once. Oliver's body moved in as close as possible to hers, trapping her between him and the wall, He kept his hands to himself, because he knew that if he didn't, if he let his hands venture where he wanted, then all hope for answers would be lost. It wasn't until her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers sliding up the back of his head did he realize he was slowly losing control of this situation and in a move his body opposed, he pulled from the kiss. He didn't move though. That's one thing he couldn't seem to do, move away from her. They both stood with dark glint in their eyes as they tried to catch their breaths while trying to come back to reality.

"Why..." Katie said through heavy breaths her eyes moving ever so often back to his lips. "Why did you do that?" she brought her eyes back to his awaiting his answer to the question. "Oliver, why-"

"I need us as much as you do. You have no idea how much I need-" he took a deep breath before finally taking a couple of steps back hoping the distance would help him regain his composure. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the doorbell ringing. They both narrowed their eyes before turning to the door as they backed away slowly. The bell rang for a second time, but neither moved. After just a couple of seconds a yellow slip of paper was pushed through the mail slot. Oliver and Katie shared a look, before Oliver took a step forward to reach down to pick it up. Katie watched the confused look pass over Oliver's face as he read it.

"What does it say?" he glanced back up to her but didn't say anything before turning and pulling open the door. Katie followed after him, both stopping right in the doorway looking out onto the porch at the item left behind. "You have to be fucking kidding me." she took a step, but Oliver grabbed her arm to stop her.

"What is it?" Oliver asked as they both turned to the item.

"I think it's my suitcase."

Detective Quentin Lance had seen just about all that he could from the crime scene and was now heading back to his car when he heard someone call his name.

"Detective Lance!" he turned in time to see an officer practically running toward him with some kind of satchel.

"What's up?"

"We've returned all the belongings to the customers, but this was left unaccounted for." the officer handed Lance the bag to which he began looking inside. He found a wallet and pulled it out, handing the bag back to the officer. "Who does it belong to?" Lance opened the wallet and saw the ID of someone who he doesn't remember being at the scene.

"Where did you say you found this?" Lance asked glancing up to the officer.

"Near one of the tables." Lance looked back down to the wallet and sighed. "Who is it sir?"

"Someone who makes this even more interesting." Lance said before grabbing the bag and nodding to the officer before turning and sliding into his car. The moment he did, he threw the items on the passenger seat before taking his cell phone from his pocket. He dialed a familiar number before bringing it to his ear. "Yeah, this is Lance. I need you to dig up any and everything you can on one Doctor Katherine Robins." he listened for a moment before he’s asked the question that had been playing in his head. "Why? Well I think she maybe a murder suspect."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**A Questioned Hero**

_"You have to do bad things in order to become a hero. You have to make sacrifices."_

_-John Barrowman_

* * *

A wise man once said, _"Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know...",_ Katie doesn't remember the line verbatim, but those couple of words stick with her because they're just so true. You never know when it comes to life. She didn't expect to be kidnapped and trapped in a very twisted exchange for three years, she didn't expect to return home and have people left and right trying to kill her. What she definitely didn't expect was the guy she'd had a crush on since she knew what a crush was to actually kiss her. You never know...those three words accurately portrayed her entire life and now she was grasping at straws. She replayed the events of the previous day over and over again, trying to analyze every detail that she could remember and it all just lead to one thing. The hell she thought she escaped from was catching up to her, and trying to suck her back inside.

To say she was too wired to sleep was a bit of an understatement. Katie didn't even attempt to close her eyes. Oliver had left moments after they discovered her re-appearing suit case, taking it with him to have it checked out. He told her to stay put and given what she'd been through, she didn't even have the energy to argue.

So while she waited for him to return with the verdict of the suit case, she sat in her dark kitchen working away on a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream. It was one of the things her father always gave her when she was younger and had a bad day. It made her feel better somehow, but at this moment, it just wasn't working. It had only been a couple of hours since she killed two people without a second thought. Her conscious wasn't eating away at her, and she didn't feel guilty. That scared her beyond words. She was a doctor. It was her job to save lives, she took an oath and for some reason it was easily something she could break.

Katie was so deep in her head that she practically jumped out of her skin when she heard the front door open. She dropped her spoon and stood to her feet. When she pushed opened the kitchen door, she spotted Oliver quietly moving toward the stairs with the suit case in his hand.

"So I guess it's not a bomb?" she said clearly startling him. He stopped and turned to her, with a look of confusion before walking over to her.

"Yeah, no. I had Felicity look it over and it's clean." Oliver said placing it on the floor. Katie watched as he stopped a couple of feet from her and she nearly rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure what she expected after the kiss, but she just thought at this point they were beyond pretending things didn't happen.

"Well that's good." she replied with a tight smile and a nod. "I have a tub of ice cream waiting for my arteries, so if you'll excuse me." she began turning for the kitchen.

"We should talk, right?" Oliver asked and Katie stopped but she didn't turn to him. "About what happened." she turned back to face him, folding her arms over her chest.

"What happened?" she asked to his annoyance, She watched as he sighed, and rubbed the back of his head. "Oliver it's fine." he met her eyes at that statement. "Yesterday was crazy, emotions were all over the place, and a mistake was bound to happen, that kiss was-"

"I meant-wait, mistake?" Oliver said and Katie was once again confused.

"You were talking about the restaurant?" Katie asked and Oliver just nodded. "Oh." she had to turn away from his intense gaze. "Well uh, there's not much to talk about."

"Ok, that's bullshit, there's a lot to talk about and I think we should start from the beginning." Katie shook her head before turning and walking back into the kitchen and she just knew Oliver was behind her. "What happened at the restaurant?" Katie took her seat at the counter, picking up her spoon and digging into her ice cream. "Felicity ran the phone, their burners and the IDs are faked. Who were those people?" Katie lifted her eyes to Oliver before slipping the spoon in her mouth. He ignored the feeling that crept inside of him at the simple act, and decided to keep on her. He growled taking a step forward, placing his hands on the counter. "I'm trying to help you and you're making it difficult."

"Oliver, you can't help me." Katie said dropping her spoon. "After last night, everything I saw, everything I did, that's the one thing I know for certain. So after I sign the contract today, I'm leaving Starling city." he opened his mouth to argue, but she quickly shot up a hand. "There's nothing you can do to change my mind about this." She grabbed the tub of ice cream and returned it to it's place in the freezer. She didn't think he'd actually just let her leave without grilling her for more information, but she walked around him and made it to the door. Before she could finally leave, he spoke.

"It wasn't a mistake." he said and she stopped. "It was a probably a lot of things, but me kissing you was definitely not a mistake." she doesn't think she can turn to him. She wasn't prepared for this moment, she was pretty sure they'd pretend as if it didn't happen. "At least I don't think so." Against her better judgment, Katie turns to face him and he's right there looking at her. Really looking at her and it takes everything inside of her to not go to him and give him everything she's holding inside, but that's an impossible thought. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. So instead she nods before turning to leave.

The most dangerous place one can find themselves trapped, was inside their head. That was specifically true for Katie, who no matter how much she tried couldn't stop thinking. It had become an annoying habit of hers to go over every last detail of until it made sense. Nothing about these past couple of days made any sense to her what so ever.

Her reflection stared back at her from the body mirror that stood in her room and it amazed her how at times she just didn't recognize herself. For the signing of the contract, Katie chose to wear a black pant suit, with a white button up. It was an outfit she thought would help her blend in with the business crowd. She at least hoped she looked as if she knew what she was doing. There was a light rasping at her door that snapped her from her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm-" she smoothed her hair back in it's loose pony tail before grabbing her back. "I'm coming." she pulled open the door to see Oliver in a suit and tie that fit him perfectly of course.

"You ready to go, Digg just pulled up"

"Yeah, I just-" the doorbell rang and both shared a look of confusion before heading for the door. "John's meeting us at the door now?" when they finally reached the door, Oliver took the final step, grabbing the knob and pulling it open revealing someone neither expected to see.

"Detective Lance?" Oliver greeted trying to hide his nervousness. The one thing you don't want after saving your friend who killed two people, was a detective showing up at your doorstep.

"Mr. Queen, I have to say I didn't expect to see you here." Lance replied glancing into the house, spotting Katie. "Dr. Robins, I'm actually here to see you"

"What do I owe such a pleasure?" Katie asked walking beside Oliver who seemed a bit impressed by her demeanor. There wasn't a twitch of guilt, or an aversion of the eyes. She had absolutely no tells that she'd done anything wrong. He figures this is a situation where her unreadable expression comes in very handy.

"Marlo's Pizzeria-"

"I'm sorry, I've already eaten, but maybe another-"

"Funny" the detective said with a very annoyed smile. "You're a funny woman. No, there was a murder at Marlo's last night."

"Wow, that's awful." she replied using the normal amount of sympathy needed to not seemed obviously suspicious. "I'm still not understanding why you're here though"

"Of course you don't." Lance muttered his eyes scanning the outside of the house. "You have a lot of security for your house. Is there a reason for that?"

"Uh, for security." Katie replied hoping the sarcasm wasn't too blatant. The man turned to her with a glare and her hopes were lost. "Look, if you don't have any actual reason for being here then-"

"I do, but I need you to come down to the station."

"Excuse me?" Oliver spoke finally deciding to interject. "For what?"

"A man was murdered and my only witness was then killed in the hospital just hours later."

"What does that have to do with Katie?"

"I don't know, but it does." the detective said turning back to Katie whose expression was just too calm for him. "Look you're not under arrest, I just want to ask you some questions." Katie sighed turning to Oliver who looked at her hoping she saw how much he thinks her being questioned should happen. "People who have nothing to hide wouldn't mind proving their innocence."

"Why do I need to prove my innocence Detective?" Katie asked turning back to him.

"To prove that you're not guilty doctor." the man said with a nod, glancing over to Oliver's serious stare and then back to Katie. "I'm going to be at the station all day, so when you want me to stop looking extra hard at you, come down and talk to me." and with that the man turned and walked away, Oliver closing the door behind him.

"He has something."

"He has nothing. If he had something, he'd be carting me off in handcuffs right now. Calm down." Katie turned and walked over to a nearby table to grab her purse.

"Calm down?" Oliver said, the tension in his voice blatant. "Did you just-" he walked over to her and grabbed her arm before turning her to face him. "Last night you killed two people, you-"

"I chose to survive." Katie replied with just as much conviction. "That man in that bathroom was a bad man who after he nearly broke my ribs, stabbed me, I ended him because given the chance he would've returned the favor."

"And the woman in the hospital?" Katie shook her head. She knew she'd have to defend herself to a lot of people, but for some reason she didn't think that would include him. "She didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight"

"So you do think I'm a murderer?"

"That's not-" Katie pulled from his grasp and began stalking toward the door. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I'm going to go prove my innocence to someone I would expect these questions from" Katie didn't stop and turn, but she did hear Oliver's heavy footsteps behind her and she just knew he wasn't going to let her go. Just as she pulled open the door, he pushed it closed and forced her to turned to face him. "Let me go."

"No, not like this. Not with you thinking that I'm not on your side." his hand slid unconsciously down her side and rested on her waist. "I am on your side on this, I'm just trying to understand and the lies and the secrets are not helping with that."

"I didn't and haven't lied to you Oliver. I've been as much in the dark about most of this as you."

"Except now."

"Fine, yes, except now. But me not spilling everything isn't me wanting to torture you. You think you can handle anything, but I'm telling you this is different. This is big and I can't be the reason something happens to you. I won't be the reason something happens to you. So I'm going to go talk to Lance and I'll tell him the truth without telling him the truth, and then I'm going to sign that contract and before the day is over I'm leaving Starling city." his grasp on her waist tightens, but she doesn't say anything. She simply looks up into his eyes, and holds his gaze. "And you are going to let me go."

"You say that like it's easy." Oliver muttered unconsciously inching closer to her. His hand moved to rest on the soft skin of her cheek. "Letting you go was the biggest mistake I made once before and I'm one who learns from his mistakes."

"Well this is one time where you don't have a choice." she said placing her hand across the one he had on her cheek. "Let's go." she turned around and opened the door, leaving Oliver shocked for just a moment, before he shook it off and followed behind her. They walked out to find Diggle already standing beside the car.

"Change of plans Mr. Diggle." Katie said looking up to the man.

"I assumed that would be happening after spotting Detective Lance." Diggle said glancing over to Oliver whose eyes seemed to be boring into the side of Katie's head. "Should we be worried?"

"Absolutely not." Katie answered turning to Oliver. "This is not your fight. It's mine. And I never bite off more than I can chew." she turned back to John who turned away from a strangely silent Oliver. "Hope you don't mind making two trips."

"I don't get paid to mind two trips. I'm paid to drive." Diggle replied pulling open the door and Katie slid inside. Once she was inside, he turned to Oliver who took a step forward.

"See if Felicity can see who the cops have on those two from last night." Oliver whispered.

"Do you think it will make a difference at this point." Diggle whispered back. "Whether they deserved what happened to them or not, it happened and now her connection to them is getting her police attention. She's going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat to change that."

"Well I think I've stopped underestimating the woman in this car" Oliver said with a shake of his head before sliding into the car as well.

The ride to the police station was spent in a tension filled silence. Oliver noticed his fingers twitching on his knee and curled his fingers into fists before turning to the woman who just sat staring out the window as if she didn't have a care in the world. He never was sure how she was able to do that.

_Oliver Queen only agreed to these study sessions because he had no choice. His friend, his Twinkie was blackmailing him. She said that if he didn't agree to them, that she would sing like a bird. Even though he thinks she's just bluffing, he doesn't tempt it and simply gives in._

_At the moment they were sitting in the middle of his mother's beautifully landscaped garden. He was supposed to be reading the book in his lap, but he found his attention jetting between the birds in the air, to the nearby flowers._

" _How much of that have you read?" her voice said breaking the silence. He turned to her and just gave her a smile. "That's what I thought."_

" _It's not my fault that nothing in these books or these classes interests me." Oliver said tossing the book aside. "It's boring, plus I'm not going to need any of this stuff in life anyway."_

" _What are you going to need?"_

" _Lots of money and you." he replied with a smile. He noticed the slight pink on her cheek as she turned away trying to hide the smile that tempted to grace her face._

" _Oliver, this is our final year of high school, and after this is nothing but life." she turned back to him. "Real life. And it's going to be boring, but you have to be in it." Oliver dropped his head and began picking at the grass beneath him. "You Oliver Queen are smarter than the average bear." he chuckled and brought his eyes back to hers. "You could be great if you realized that you're more than what you pretend to be."_

" _What do I pretend to be Twinkie?" she sighed and turned away at the name before plastering on a smile and just shaking her head._

" _Never mind." she glanced down to her book, but Oliver reached over and pulled it away._

" _No never mind. What do I pretend to be?" his voice had lost it's playful tone, and was suddenly serious. She turned her body to face him and he did the same._

" _You pretend that there is nothing more to you then some rich, party boy jock, who dates only the prettiest girls and only hangs out with the popular kids"_

" _Isn't that who I am?"_

" _What, no!" she said a little louder than she anticipated. "You're funny, and you're smart and you actually like hanging out with your annoying little sister. You have a good heart and you like the Three Stooges which makes you awesome in my opinion. Oliver, there's more to you than who you pretend to be. One day high school is going to be over, and you won't be able to pretend anymore. So let's prepare for that moment, right now." She grabbed the book he tossed aside and placed it back in his lap. "Your first test of the semester is Friday and I believe that you will be able to pass it all on your own. I really would like to stop tempting fate and cheating for you."_

 _"It's not cheating, it's assisting." Oliver justified and Katie just shook her head._ " _You have that much faith in me?"_

" _No." Katie replied as she looked back down to her own book. Oliver lifted his head and looked over to her in confusion. "I have more" and with that a bright smile came to his face before he turned back to his book._

Oliver turned away from her to look out his own window, unsure why that memory chose that moment to float into his mind. He hadn't thought about that day since his time on the island. That day in the garden, Oliver didn't know what that feeling was that overcame him as she spoke. He didn't know why he just had to stare at her ever so often until she left. And for the life of him, he could never explain the intense anticipation that flooded him in the moments before they would see each other again.

"So what's the plan here?" Diggle asked the pair as he pulled up in front of the station.

"I'm going to go inside, answer some questions and that's it."

"That sounds like the unrealistic version that everyone hopes happen." Diggle replied turning back to look at Oliver who continued to stare out the window. "Oliver."

"At the moment she's right" Oliver finally spoke turning back to his friend. "Lance is getting too close, and she has to get him off her scent."

"How does someone who's guilty do that?" Diggle asked turning to Katie who simply smiled.

"You ever heard the saying that the best way to lie is to tell the truth. Well the carefully edited truth."

"It's still risky. Lance is like a dog with a bone. It's going to take the jaws of life to take it from him." Diggle replied turning to Oliver whose eyes turned to Katie for just an ounce of nervousness or fear. She didn't show anything. She was just too damn confident.

"I will be fine" Katie said before turning to Oliver. "You should head to QC and-"

"I'm not leaving you here alone." Oliver interrupted before turning and pushing open the door, not even giving her a chance to argue. He held out a hand and helped her from the car before placing a hand on the small of her back. She turned to him and he looked down to her. "You ready for this?" she simply nodded before they ventured ahead toward the station's doors.

When they finally walked into the station they spotted detective Lance instantly. He stood talking with Laurel who met their eyes first. Her eyes widen sightly at how close Katie and Oliver stood, and the hand the man had on the woman's back.

"Of course your girlfriend would be involved in some way" Katie whispered over to Oliver who sent a silent glare her way. They both turned at the sound of impending footsteps to see the detective heading their way.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon." Lance said with a slight smile as he looked at Katie.

"Yeah, well I'm very busy today and thought I'd get this out of the way while I had a chance" Lance simply nodded. "Where are we doing this?"

"This way." the man said turning and walking. He stopped suddenly and turned, his eyes going Oliver. "Actually, I'm going to need to speak with the good doctor alone." Katie felt Oliver grow tense beside her, and so she place a hand on his arm.

"It's alright Liver." she whispered and he turned to her. "I'll be back." he seemed comforted with those three words, and so loosening the grasp he had around her didn't seem too difficult. And so he stood there and watched as Lance and Katie disappeared through a door.

"Please tell me you're not getting yourself tangled up in that woman?" a voice spoke from behind him and he turned to see Laurel.

"Hi Laurel, it's good to see you too." he snarked walking around her as he slid his cell phone from his pocket.

"Oliver, I get she's your friend all of a sudden, but-"

"All of a sudden?" Oliver repeated turning back to her. "Laurel, look I'm not in the mood to do this with you right now. And you of all people have no right to have an opinion on my life."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean? Because Tommy and I are dating, I can't worry that you're making a mistake by letting that woman into your life."

"You don't even know her." Oliver replied with a shake of his head.

"Let me guess, you do?"

"Yeah, I do." Oliver shook his head before turning and walking away from her.

For someone who wasn't under arrest, Katie couldn't help but feel like she was as she sat on one side of the interrogation table, and detective Lance sat on the other his eyes reading over something in a manilla folder.

"At some point you're going to tell me what all of this is about, right?" Katie asked breaking the silence, and the detective glanced over to her. "I mean that is in the cards for us today?"

"Dr. Katherine Robins, grew up in Starling City, before heading off to New York to attend Columbia University for three years. Following that you jetted off to your father's alma mater Stanford where you went to medical school."

"I'm sorry, have you been writing my biography, because if so, thank you because I don't think I was going to have enough time to get around to it."

"Is your initial reaction to serious situations, humor, because I have to tell you doctor it doesn't place you in a good light."

"No, but it does get a couple of laughs." she replied with a chuckle, but the detective's face was stone cold seriousness. "Tough room."

"You and Oliver Queen seemed to be tight knit lately, how-"

"Don't do that detective." Katie replied, her voice a little bit more serious. Lance had now found a pressure point and he was proud of himself. "You said that this had to do with Marlo's."

"Yes, and you were there." The detective accused. He awaited a lie that he just knew she was going to tell.

"Yeah, so." he narrowed his eyes to her for a second before glancing down to the file in front of him.

"Last night, after gun shots rang through the place, you were there." he glanced back up to the woman. "I have witnesses placing you at the scene ,and yet when the cops arrived you were gone."

"Alright, so I understand what you're saying. Last night I was at a pizza joint where gun fire erupted and instead of sticking around to see what's what, I ran. And to you that seems unusual?"

"You didn't think to, I don't know contact the police to inform them that you could be a possible witness."

"You know I would, if I was a potential witness. I heard gun shots and then I ran home. That's my part in that story."

"crime seems to follow you like a bad habit, doesn't it?" the detective said leaning back in his seat. "First it was sniper, and then there's that robbery, then you're almost kidnapped and now two people are dead."

"And your point detective?"

"Well when investigating a crime you want to search for clues, or consistencies that could connect this to other crimes. At first I didn't have a connection, but then you showed up in the middle of my investigation again. I'd have to be a fool not to see how strange that is." the detective reached inside the folder and pulled out a sheet of paper and slid it in front of Katie. "Explain this to me." Katie looked down at the paper, her eyes drawn to the word, "Missing" in dark red letters and a picture of her beneath it. "I made a few calls, and I found out that you were considered legally missing for three years until one day you just showed up at the front step of the US embassy in Bosnia, bruised and battered." Katie's eyes focused so intently on that sheet of paper in front of her, that Lance wondered if she was even listening to him. "Doctor-"

"What does this have to do with what happened last night?" Katie asked bringing her eyes back to the man across from her. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

"No, you're digging. You have nothing, but a stray suspicious that I might have something to do with some shooting at a pizzeria. Look I can't imagine the position you're put in, where you have to gather clues to come up with an answer, but I'm telling you that this, this has nothing to do with me. I don't kill people in bathrooms, that's-" she shook her head, with a look of disgust she hoped the man believed. "That's horrible, and I would never even consider doing anything like that." Katie glanced down to her watch and sighed before looking back over to him. "Look I was fine with entertaining your wild ideas detective, and I hope I've convinced you to actually start doing your job and finding the bastard that did this and get them out of this city before they hurt someone else." Katie stood to her feet and gave the man a nod before heading for the door.

"Doctor-" the detective spoke and Katie stopped, her hand on the door knob. "I would advise you not to leave town, just in case I have anymore questions." Katie inwardly cringed at the idea, but plastered on a smile and turning to the man.

"Of course." she simply turned, opening the door and walking out. When she walked back out into the bustling station, she scanned the room for Oliver. She spotted him across the room, his eyes on his cell phone and from the looks of it, trying his hardest to ignore the bantering of Laurel Lance. Katie figures it was only fair of her to save him.

"Oliver will you listen to me. There's something not right with this woman, you have to see that." Laurel spoke, but Oliver continued looking down to his phone. "What is this, guilt, because you have nothing to be guilty for. Fine, you were kids, and she was the weird fat girl, it's all in the past and you shouldn't-"

"Laurel, would you-" Oliver's eyes lifted to the woman, but his eyes went to the person standing behind him. Laurel's face scrunched in confusion before she followed his gaze, her eyes widening at the sight of Katie.

"She's right Oliver, you shouldn't feel guilty. I was just the fat, weird girl." Katie simply shook her head before stalking toward the door. Oliver turned to go after her, when Laurel grabbed his arm to stop.

"Oliver-"

"Laurel, I get right now you're confused, and I know I'm part of the blame for that because I wasn't honest with you. So I think you should know that Katie was...is more to me than that. She's my friend and has been for a very long time. You can accept that or not, but it doesn't matter." and with that Oliver turned and left the woman who he never thought he'd be speaking these words to. She huffed in anger before turning and spotting her father, stalking over to get the low down.

"So how did it go?" Lance looked up to the pointed look of his daughter and sighed.

"Laurel you know I can't-"

"Cut the crap dad. If she had something to do with what happened last night, then it's her fault Tommy was put into danger. And she has Oliver so twisted up that he could be next."

"Oliver?" Lance watched as his daughter turned away. "That's what this is about isn't it? You want her away from Queen."

"That's not-"

"I thought you and Tommy were-"

"We are. I love Tommy, but that doesn't mean that I suddenly stopped caring about Oliver. For the longest time, nothing about Twinkie has seemed right to me and since she's been back it seems everyone seems to be latching on to her. So how did the questioning go?"

"Well she can talk, I give her that." the detective replied walking over to pour himself a cup of coffee. "I didn't get anything about the case from her, but you're right, there's something more to her than being some rich doctor."

"Do you think she's dangerous?"

"I think that woman has been through the fire and the flood and came out the other end cracking jokes. I think she may be the most dangerous person I've questioned since I've gotten my badge." the man shook his head before bringing the cup to his lips. "I have nothing connecting her to this crime or any other crime her name has popped up in."

"That doesn't mean she isn't involved."

"No, but it does mean that I can't do anything about anything until I know that she is." Lance replied walking about over to his desk. "For right now I check out all my leads until I get somewhere." he looked over to his daughter who had a determined look on her face, which only meant one thing. "Laurel you do not get involved in this." she turned to him with wide eyes. "You don't like the woman, fine, but you will not get yourself put in the middle of something, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." Laurel said glancing down to her watch. "I have to get back to work, I'll talk to you later." she pressed a kiss to her father's cheek before turning and heading for the door. Lance watched as his daughter leave unable to shake the thought that his words had just went in one ear and out the other. He just hoped she didn't get herself into anything she couldn't get herself out of.

When Oliver stalked out of the station, he looked over to Diggle who stood across the street leaning against the car. The man simply nudged his head down the street and Oliver nodded before hurrying off. He spotted her suddenly, walking extremely fast for a woman in high heels.

"Katie!" she glanced over her shoulder, but didn't stop walking. Oliver ran the rest of the distance, grabbing her arm before she could cross the street. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know!" she snapped turning to him, before pulling from his grasp. "I just want to go."

"Look what Laurel said-"

"What she said shouldn't matter. It shouldn't upset me, or hurt my feeling because I'm not that girl anymore." Katie shook her head as she turned away. "And yet it still gets me. Sticks and stones hurt, but some words can be a close second." Oliver grabbed her and pulled her into a hug that she didn't resist. Instead she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and dropped her head on his chest. "I'm going to always be that fat, weird girl aren't I."

"I never thought you were fat, and there's nothing wrong with being weird." Oliver replied. "I mean look at me." Katie let out a snort before pulling from the hug.

"That is true." she sighed.

"How did it go with Lance?"

"It went. He has nothing, but he might be looking at me a little longer than I want now." she replied with a shake of his head. "He told me not to leave town until this investigation is over." she looked over to Oliver who seemed to be fighting the satisfied smirk that wanted to grace his lips. "Which I can see you're all broken up about."

"C'mon, would running really have solved anything?"

"I would sleep better at night."

"To sleep better, you have to actually sleep and that's something you don't seem to be doing at all." Katie scoffed before shoving him playfully.

"You're one to talk Mr. three hours is all I need." she countered before heading back toward the car. "We're both very screwed up people, and we're dealing with it in our own way. My way is not sleeping."

"Your way is going to get you sick." Oliver said grabbing her arm before she could cross the street as a car came speeding down the road. She turned to him, to see a smirk now fully planted on his lips. "Look at that, I just saved your life."

"No, you just stopped me from a serious pay day." she replied pulling herself from his grasp and heading over to Diggle and the car.

"You can't say it, can you?"

"Say what?" Katie asked stopping just as Diggle opened the door. She looked over to Oliver who stopped behind her.

"Thank you Oliver, you're my hero." the man said, and the moment the words came out of his mouth Katie threw her head back and erupted in laughter. She couldn't even say some witty comeback, because she couldn't stop laughing. Katie simply shook her head before stepping inside the car. Oliver sighed, turning to Diggle who seemed to be holding his own laughter back. "Let it out, you know you want to" Oliver sighed and Diggle soon erupted with laughter as well.

"Sorry Oliver, I just didn't know how much of a dork you were man." Diggle replied with a shake of his head as he headed back to the driver's side. "You're my hero, priceless."

"I'm glad I can entertain you guys, I think my life's mission is complete." Oliver said before letting his eyes scan the area for anything suspicious before stepping into the car as well.

When they finally pulled in front of QC, the front of the building was once again filled with the press.

"Back entrance?" Diggle asked.

"No" Katie replied before Oliver could. Both turned to her with confused looks. "Whoever is looking for me knows I'm here so hiding is definitely not an option. If this is going to be me, and this is going to be my life then I think it's time I finally embraced it." Oliver and Diggle shared a look before Oliver turned to open the door. The moment Katie stepped out, they were bombarded with flashing lights and the endless questions from reporters.

"How much money are you projected to make from this deal!?"

"Where have you been all this time Ms. Robins!?"

"Is it true that there's a chance your father's death might not be ruled as natural causes?"

Katie stopped at that question and turned in search of the person who asked it. There were so many of them, that such of task was impossible.

"Oh my God!" someone shrieked and all eyes went to the black Lamborghini that pulled up in front of the building. "Who is that?" the moment the driver stepped out of the car, the press went haywire, their flashing seeming to be non stop as they all yelled questions to the man who waved as he climbed the stairs toward Katie and Oliver.

"What is he doing here?" Oliver whispered looking down to Katie, whose eyes were wide as she stared at the man. "Do you know why he's here?"

"No idea, but I'm sure I'm not going to like it." once the man stepped in front of Katie, he pulled off his sunglasses and brought her into tight bear hug. "I'm going to kill you."

"Not in front of the cameras dear." he whispered before pressing a kiss to her cheek. The pair turned back to the flashing lights and posed for a few shots.

Oliver stood off to the side, his eyes going to the man's hand that was wrapped a little too comfortably around Katie's waist. He fought his initial reaction, finding it may be a little rash to walk over and break the guy's arm.

"Hey." Diggle said appearing beside Oliver. "What is this about?"

"I don't know, but I plan on finding out." Oliver replied turning back to the pair as the stampede of press yelled out the man's name.

"Mr. Wayne are you apart of this deal?!

"Mr. Wayne why are you here?!"

"Mr. Wayne what is your relationship with Ms. Robins?!"

"He seems taller in person." Diggle muttered gaining a glare from Oliver. "What, he's Bruce Wayne." they both turned to the pair as they continued posing for pictures. "What kind of trouble could he cause?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**A Home Threatened**

_"There is nothing more important than a good, safe, secure home."_

_-Rosalynn Carter_

* * *

Oliver Queen likes to think that even though a lot of darkness was created from his time on Lian Yu, he'd be lying if he didn't recognize the positive things that came from that time as well. One of those things was a sixth sense about people. He'd met Bruce Wayne maybe a hand full of times, but they were brief. He was young and Bruce was always so serious. He seemed to be working tirelessly to prepare himself for taking over his father's company. Then there was the fact that he too had disappeared from all eyes for years, way before Oliver and his father's sailing trip. He'd seen and read about the news of the sole Wayne heir’s return, but the last place he expected to see the man was standing on the steps of Queen Consolidated, with his arm still wrapped around Katie's waist as they posed for more pictures. That's what caused the twinge in his gut. There was a familiarity that seemed to be swirling between the two that he had no idea about and it made him feel things he was trying so hard to ignore.

"Hey?" Diggle said nudging Oliver's side, pulling him from the fog in his head. "You alright?" Oliver turned to the man an nodded, but Diggle didn't look to believing. "You sure, because that vein in your forehead looks like it's going to burst." Oliver's jaw tightened as he turned back to the posing pair. Diggle followed his gaze and suddenly the realization hit him and he simply nodded before giving his friend a pat on the shoulder.

"Alright, I think that's enough." Katie said turning a tight smile over to Bruce. She was unable to keep up this charade any longer. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Bruce replied taking her hand in his, and lead her up the stairs toward the front doors of the building. Katie glance over to Oliver, whose expression could be described as nothing but pure annoyance. Once they all walked into the building and stepped onto the elevator, Katie couldn't wait until the doors closed before she snatched her hand from Bruce's grasp and pushed him.

"I can't believe you just did that!" she snapped and he simply shrugged, seemingly unfazed by her outburst. "What were you thinking? What the hell are you even doing here?!"

"I thought you'd be happy to see me Robins." Bruce said with a smile before turning to Oliver who stood near Katie, glaring at Bruce. "Oliver-" he held out a hand to the man. "It's been a long time. How have you been?" Oliver took the man's hand and reluctantly shook it making sure his grip was strong. Maybe even stronger than necessary.

"I've been better." was Oliver's reply. "I can't help but share Katie's sentiment. What are you doing here?"

"Well I read about the merger and thought I'd fly in and give my two cents." Bruce said turning back to Katie who looked at him with a furrowed brow. "We should talk."

"About?" Katie questioned, only for Bruce's eyes to glance over to Oliver and then back to her. "Wayne-"

"I was sort of thinking that maybe we should talk in private." Bruce said looking over to Oliver with a smile. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Actually, I do." Oliver said taking a very bold step toward the man. Katie quickly grabbed his arm to stop him from getting too close and causing something that definitely shouldn't happen in the small confines of this elevator.

"Oliver," Katie said moving to stand between the two men, but facing Oliver. "Calm down." Bruce watched the interaction between the pair with a raised brow as he happened upon something he hadn't seen before. Once the doors slid open, Bruce stepped off first and watched as Katie and Oliver stepped off, but distanced themselves further down the hall where they spoke in whispered tones.

"Who the hell does this guy think he is?" Oliver asked sending a sharp glare toward the man.

"He thinks he's Bruce Wayne." Katie said with a shake of her head. "He's a bit of a pain in the ass." Oliver looked back down to her. "He's also a bit of a friend like person."

"Friend like person?" Oliver asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means that he's a painfully annoying human being, he's pompous, arrogant, but he's also kind of a good human being once you peel back all the layers." that was statement that caught his attention and definitely not in a good way.

"Which you have?" Oliver asked folding his arms over his chest, hoping that emotion that was twinging in his gut wasn't too obvious. "Pulled back his layers?" he glanced over to the man who simply smiled and waved. Oliver couldn't even explain the surge of anger that coursed through his veins in that moment. It wasn't until Katie's hands touched his chest and pushed him back slightly did he realized that he was starting to move toward the man.

"What, no." she said quickly. "Look, it's very complicated, but our families have sort of been tightknit, and then his parents were-" she shook her head. "Well you know, and my parents sort of tried to stay connected to him, so all those times we went to Gotham we were visiting with him." she looked over her shoulder to the man. "Our relationship is sort of hard to explain, but I trust him." she turned back to Oliver and sighed. "Which is why I am going to go talk to him now."

"You don't think it's a little suspicious that he's just showing up now after all this time?" Oliver asked and Katie gave him a look that made him shake his head. "Me and you are totally different then whatever his deal is."

"How so?" Katie asked. "I mean he's an old friend who is seemingly trying to reconnect. Why shouldn't I give him the same chance I gave you?"

"Because-" Oliver racked his brain from a brilliant reason, but for the life of him just couldn't. "Because you can't!"

"Thought provoking rebuttal." Katie muttered with a shake of her head. "Look just chill, I won't be gone long and when we're done, I'll sign the contract and hopefully some of my problems will go away." Katie brought her fingers to rub her eyes, suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion.

"Hey," Oliver said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you aright?" she looked up to him and gave him a reassuring smile and nod that he saw right through.

"I'm great." she said before turning to Bruce who stood with his hands clasped behind his back as he patiently waited.

"My eyes must be deceiving me." a familiar voice spoke and they all turned as Moira came walking down the hall. "Because I just know that Bruce Wayne isn't standing here right now."

"Moira," Bruce said pulling the woman into a hug. "It's good to see you again."

"You too." Moira replied pulling from the hug. "You know there was a rumor floating around that you were dead."

"You didn't believe it though, did you?" Bruce said with a chuckle.

"Of course not, you've been through too much to go out so easily." the woman said pressing a kiss to the man's cheek.

"How have you been Moira?" Bruce asked and the woman simply smile.

"I'm great. I mean I didn't think I would be able to breathe after Robert, but here I am." she sighed turning away as a memory of her husband came to her.

"Well as long as you're happy, I'm glad. I'm sure Walter is making sure that's happening." Bruce said his eyes scanning the hall. "Is Walter here, I haven't seen him in I don't know how long."

"Walter is...away on business." Moira replied automatically, the excuse becoming too familiar. She turned away slightly, solemnly thinking upon the truth before turning back to Bruce with a smile. "But the show must go on. What do I owe the pleasure of our competition?"

"I'm actually here to speak Ms. Robins." Bruce said as Katie walked over to the pair. "I know you all are very busy, but it's important" Katie gave him a very skeptical look before nodding. "Is there somewhere we can speak?"

"There is a small conference room just down the hall that should be free" Moira said pointing down the hall. Bruce nodded and brought a hand to the small of Katie's back as they walked down the hall. Moira turned to see the sour expression on her son's face and walked over.

"You're looking a little... green son." Moira said with a smile. She placed a hand on his cheek and he looked down to her. "You should use your words."

"I don't know what you mean mother." Oliver replied his eyes glancing down the hall where Katie and Bruce were now nowhere in sight. He sighed deeply, dropping his eyes back to his mother.

"Have you heard the saying that there are more fish in the sea, well Oliver when you find a fish you like you better grab it before it gets away." she pressed a kiss to her son's cheek. "Especially the rare ones." she gave him a smile before letting out a deep breath. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to try to calm down a room full of anxious lawyers."

"Thanks mom." Oliver replied before his mother sauntered off to make being the CEO of a billion dollar company look easy.

When Moira walked into the boardroom, it was just as she left it. Lawyers on both sides still arguing about terms that both had agreed on the day before.

"What do you mean fifteen percent, we didn't agree with that!" someone yelled, but everyone in the room was in such an uproar she couldn't pin point just who said it.

"It was your idea!" came the reply. Moira simply shook her head before taking a step forward and bringing her fingers to her lips and blowing out an ear busting whistle. Everything in that room stopped and all eyes went to the woman standing at the head of the table.

"Ok!" she yelled. "You're anxious and you're nervous about this deal, but lets not forget why we're here. Queen Consolidated and Robins Incorporated together will be the power couple of the century. This merger helps both stay alive and afloat and it keeps everyone in this room employed." she let her eyes scan over the men and women in the room . "Despite what everyone in this room may think, there is nothing sordid or scandalous happening today. Today we're going to make history, so start acting your age." everyone in the room simply nodded and Moira smile. "Alright, Katie is here, she's taking care of something, so we will be able to get this show on the road soon. I will be in my office until then if anyone needs me." she nodded once again before turning and leaving the room. The moment the door closed behind her, she could already hear the arguing begin again and she simply sighed loudly.

Oliver kept his feet planted, and his hands in his pocket trying to restrain himself from going to find Katie. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the array of emotions that danced inside of him at the moment.

"Hey!" a familiar voice called and Oliver turned down the hall to see a familiar blonde rushing down the hall, her ponytail bouncing behind her. "Is it true? Is he here? Where is he?"

"Felicity slow down. What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about what has every social media and press outlet booming right now." the woman said turning her tablet to face him, showing him a picture of Katie and Bruce standing side by side, both wearing big smiles. "Bruce freaking Wayne is here right now." she turned the tablet around and shook her head at the pictures. "And him and Twinkie seem real cozy" she rose her eyes to see the dark glare of Oliver Queen and the smile immediately dropped from her face. "I mean, they look good toget-um, they look-" she looked down to the tablet. "Horrible together, ew, they would totally not make cute babies."

"Felicity!" Oliver snapped his voice a little bit louder than he wished. "Just, stop."

"Sorry." she said bringing the tablet to her chest. "So where is the man of the hour?"

"He's down there talking to Katie in private." Oliver grumbled as he glanced down the hall, before glancing down to his watch. Felicity stood there and watched the impatience radiating off of him and just rolled her eyes. "Maybe I should-"

"You shouldn't." Felicity interrupted and Oliver turned to her. "You're kind of holding on a little tight there."

"What are you talking about? I'm not-"

"Come on Oliver, right now, tell me not seeing her, tell me that knowing she's in a room with a gorgeous specimen like Bruce Wayne isn't shredding your insides right now" Oliver didn't answer, but him turning away from her eyes was answer enough. "Alright, so I can honestly say I would've never guessed that I would be in this position, but I guess I'm just going to have to roll with it." Oliver turned to the woman with a furrowed brow as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Oliver Queen you like this girl. From what I can tell, that like may kind of sort of be more, but it's there and I think it may have been there for a while. It's just feelings like that just don't go away because you want them to and shouldn't want them to." Oliver sighed turning down the empty hall. "There's nothing wrong with wanting more."

"But there is." Oliver replied turning back to the woman. "I don't get to have more. I chose a path and that path doesn't allow me to have more and I've accepted that."

"Have you?" Felicity shook her head because she had to restrain grabbing the man in front of her and just shaking some sense into him. "I mean a guy whose accepted such a dreary existence wouldn't move into the house of the object of his affection, he wouldn't be practically attached to her at her hip, he wouldn't be dying to to see her after being separated for just a few minutes. You can't have it both ways and if you try you will hurt her, which is something I doubt you want."

"I made a choice Felicity." Oliver said his eyes turning back down that empty hall and trying to will with his mind for her to appear. "One I may not like, but a necessary one."

"I just think you're being a coward and that is just not a word I would've ever used to describe you before right now." Felicity replied before turning and walking away leaving nothing but the echo of her heels and her words to haunt him.

Katie walked into the conference room, her eyes instantly searching for coffee, but finding nothing but a pitcher of water. She sighed before walking over and pouring herself a glass.

"I have to tell you that when I turned on my television, the last face I expected to see was yours." Bruce said and Katie turned to face him. "And the first thing on your to do list is to sign away everything your father worked for to QC"

"Bruce, don't-"

"Don't what? Tell you the things that no one else seems to want to tell you. They're playing you, you know that don't you?" Bruce shook his head. "How long has your father been in this city, and not once has the thought of joining with QC ever crossed his mind.

"Out of all the people I know, Robert Queen was someone my father trusted."

"Your father tolerated Robert, but he didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. You have no idea what's been happening around you. This game you're putting yourself in the middle of."

"What are you talking about?"

"This-" Bruce said tossing his hands in the air. "You were dead, and your father this close to being out of the way and you don't think that was strange?"

"You're talking crazy, and you need to leave." Katie moved to walk past him but he grabbed her arm to stop her. "Bruce-"

"One year ago something happened. Something no one outside of this room would probably believe, but it happened." The man took a step toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "And you coming here alone, it makes a statement. One you may be forced to back up."

"If it comes to that then it just does. My father-"

"Your father was dead the moment he decided to be the hero!" Bruce snapped and Katie pulled her arm from his grasp. "You've placed yourself in a very dangerous place Robins, and if you don't get out, then no one will be able to save you. Not me, and I'm pretty sure not even your new boyfriend."

Katie turned away from him, her hand still gripping that glass of water as if for dear life. She turned, looking out the city and shook her head.

"You need to get out of this city." Bruce said walking over to stand behind her. "Come to Gotham, I can-"

"What?" Katie asked turning back to him. "Keep me safe? Protect me from the big bad wolf? Out of everyone in the entire world, you know that's not what I need." she turned back to the window, swallowing the lump in her throat. "You don't die and then come back to fear death." she looked over her shoulder to man. "I didn't get all the way here to run when the game is just getting interesting."

_Katie couldn't explain the rush of emotions that flooded her as she ran toward door. This was it. She was finally going to get out of this place and get home. The moment her hand touched the door knob, she didn't hesitate to push it open. Her shoulders dropped and her eyes widened as she stalked through the door, not finding her salvation, but something else. An empty room filled with monitors each showing a room in her prison. There was one in the training cave where she'd spent many days with Lian. There was a screen that seemed to be showing directly into her cell. The other screens seemed to show other rooms she'd never seen before._

" _What the hell is going on here?" she muttered as she walked over to the screens. She began typing a couple of keys hoping that she could find some sort of email or message to get someone to help her._

" _Don't move." a female voice spoke from behind Katie who stopped movement. "Raise your hands and turn to face me." Katie's hands raised above her head as she turned to the caramel skinned woman, whose suit was ruffled, and her breathing seemed erratic as if she'd ran here. Katie's eyes went to the gun that seemed to be firmly planted in the woman's hands._

" _Who are you?" Katie asked, the woman seeming too familiar and too strange at the same time._

" _That doesn't matter now." the woman replied, and her voice seemed to click in Katie's head._

" _Do you know where you are?" Katie whispered remembering those words being spoken to her. Her eyes lift to meet the woman's gaze. "You brought me here!"_

" _You want answers, fine, but they don't happen now." the woman replied when suddenly flashing lights shined above them, and a siren blared through the walls. "Shit! We have to get out of here." she looked back to Katie. "You must come with me."_

" _I'm not going anywhere with you." Katie snapped before making a speedy exit out the door. She didn't get far, and in all reality she didn't expect to get far. She also didn't expect to come face to face with a group of people dressed in all black, their faces covered except for their eyes._

" _You're making a big mistake."the woman said from behind Katie, her gun now aimed at the masked people in front of her her. "We are not enemies you want to have."_

" _No Agent Waller, we are not enemies you want to have." one of the masked one's said. It was a female voice, and if Katie had to guess then she'd say that it was the one who stood in the middle. Her eyes suddenly go to the woman whose eyes meet hers. "There was a contract in place and now we've come to collect."_

" _Well we're not done with her!" Agent Waller replied. "There have been developments and we now need her longer. She is not ready for you yet."_

" _What the hell are you talking about?!" Katie snapped totally and completely confused by what what was happening around her._

" _You and me have something in common Dr. Robins" the masked woman said walking toward Katie who began backing away. "We both have fathers who would do anything for us." Before Katie could take anymore steps the woman grabbed her shirt and pulled her with a strong tug bringing Katie's eyes only inches from hers. "Daddy's girls we are." suddenly she rose a fist opening it, revealing some sort of power. Before Katie could ask any questions, the woman had blew the powder in her face, and everything after that was just darkness._

The glass of water slipped from her fingers and shattered the moment it crashed on the floor. She stepped back suddenly, and couldn't help but feel as if someone was behind her. She turned and was met with the smiling face of her internal tormentor.

" _Hell is in your veins and it's never coming out_." he spoke followed by his torturous cackle that just made her skin crawl.

"Hey," Bruce said placing a hand on Katie's shoulder, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin. It wasn't until she turned to him, her eyes wide with horror did he realize what was happening. "You shouldn't be here Robins. Not after what you've been through."

"I had no where else to go. This is my home. Nobody can take my home." Katie replied her voice cracking with an emotion she'd been fighting to keep inside. Bruce brought his arms around her and hugged her tight, and she could do nothing but fall into his embrace.

Neither saw the bright red laser dot that seemed to be strategically placed on the back of her head...waiting for the order.

Diggle didn't hate his part time job as the baby sitter to the rich and brainless, but he had to admit that working for Oliver Queen has become a very unexpected part of his life. And he didn't hate it. For the first time since leaving the army, he actually feels like he's making a difference. Though there were times like the present where he had to keep up the facade of being the driver slash body guard of Oliver Queen that he just found plain annoying. At the moment he stood leaning against his car enjoying a hot dog when a conversation he'd bet his life he wasn't supposed to hear met his ears.

"Do we have eyes on the target?" Diggle's brow furrow at such a question and standing in front of QC, he just knew it couldn't be anything good. Diggle turned and looked over his shoulder to a man wearing a black baseball cap, pair with equally suspicious black sunglasses. Without a second thought he tossed the rest of his hotdog and followed behind the man, making sure to keep a reasonable distance.

"The boss hired a lot of muscle for this job, and I can not call him and tell him that we can't even find one woman." the man said, Diggle now seeing his hand pressed to something in his ear. "Well look harder, she has to-" the man stopped and listened. "Are we sure it's Robins?" the moment the question came out of the man's mouth Diggle was already snaking his phone from his pocket. "I'll call the boss. Make sure the shot is clear." the man stopped and looked up to the building and Diggle followed his eyes.

"Sniper." Diggle muttered to himself as he looked up from his phone to man. "Hey!" the man looked back to Diggle with wide eyes. "Come here!" the man did the opposite, turning, and running away. "Shit!" Diggle said before chasing after the man as he brought his phone to his ear.

Moira couldn't take the pestering lawyers any longer and so she decided to head off to her office until Katie was ready. She wouldn't dare rush her into this, especially not after all the rumors that were circulating about Katie being manipulated into this decision. They would do this when she was ready, not before. Moira didn't expect her empty office to be not so empty as she walked in. There standing, looking out to the city through the large paned window with a cell phone pressed to his ear was the one man she wouldn't mind that hooded fellow sticking an arrow in.

"What are you doing here Malcolm?" Moira asked and the man turned to her holding up a finger for her to wait a second.

"Do you have the shot?" he asked and Moira's brow furrowed in confusion. "Good. Take it." he ended the call and looked over to the woman with a smile.

"What was that about?" Moira asked and Malcolm let out a deep, throaty laugh that sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh nothing." he replied turning back to look out to the beautiful scene of his city. "Just killing two birds with one stone." he looked over his shoulder to her and smiled. "Come over here and witness a great day with me Moira." the woman didn't move, and the man's smile fell slightly. "Come." it was an order that time and Moira knew that if she wanted to see her husband again, when Malcolm Merlyn said jump, the only words that better came out of her mouth were, how high...for the moment at least.

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**A Window To The Heart**

_"Her heart was a secret garden and the walls were very high"_

_-William Goldman_

 

* * *

_Oliver Queen had never been more relieved in his entire life. He'd been tortured by having to listen to his father and Mr. Robins talking about business for most of dinner. He'd been ready to stick his fork right in his hand, until his mother called his name._

" _Oliver, it's been a while, I think Katherine may have gotten lost looking for the bathroom. Would you go check on her?" Oliver nodded, practically jumping from his seat and running out of the dining room. As he walked down the halls of their house, he really should've been searching for the girl, but he figure she probably didn't even want to be found. She looked just as bored as he did with their dinner conversation, and seemed pleased that she had to use the bathroom. It wasn't until Oliver reached the second level of the house did he hear the sound of laughter in the halls. He stopped for a moment, and looked around for it's source when he heard it again. It came from further down the hall, and so he walked trying to figure out where it came from. The third time he heard the laugh, he stopped because it came right from the room beside him. When he turned, he realized that it was his room. Oliver pushed open the door to see the girl sitting on his bed, watching TV. She let out another laugh at something she saw, and he couldn't help the curiosity that crept up inside of his as he walked closer. His foot knocked one of his toys and the girl jumped from the bed and turned to him with wide eyes._

" _I'm sorry, please don't tell my parents!" she said quickly. "It's just if I didn't leave that stupid dinner I was going to poke my eye out and I really wanted-" her eyes turned back to the screen, a smile coming to her face._

" _What are you watching?" Oliver asked walking beside her to see the television as well._

" _The Three Stooges." Katie replied. "I really wanted to see this marathon, but my dad said we had to come to this stupid dinner." she began patting his arm enthusiastically. "Watch this." Oliver watched as one of the funny haired men hit one of the other guys with a hammer, and then another slapped the back of his head causing a weird noise to come out of the guys mouth. Katie laughed, and so did Oliver because it really was funny._

" _My mom sent me to look for you." Oliver said._

" _Oh." Katie said glumly with a nod._

" _But-" Oliver started before turning to the television. "Maybe I didn't. Maybe you're still lost and I'm searching for you." Katie looked to him confused and he simply smiled. "At least until this episode is over." he hopped on his bed and Katie stood unsure if she should follow. "So what are their names?" Katie smiled before jumping on the bed beside him._

" _Well that one on the end there is Larry, he's my favorite." Katie said with a wild smile. "Oh, and the one next to him is Curly. and the last one is Moe."_

" _And what-"_

" _Shss, you have to watch it or you miss the funny parts." Katie said and Oliver simply shrugged before turning back to the television._

Oliver was leaning against the wall when that memory came to him. It caused a smile to come to his face which distracted him from his impatience for the moment. The sound of his phone rang, snapped him from his thoughts and so he rummaged into his pocket before pulling it out. He glanced down the empty hall, and shook his head before finally deciding to go see what taking so long. He glanced down to his phone before bringing it to his ear.

"Hey Digg, what's up?"

" _Oliver where's Katie?"_ Diggle replied out of breath.

"She's in the conference room with Bruce, why?" Oliver asked, his pace already quickening down the hall.

" _Look, I'm not sure what's happening, but I just overheard someone and I think there's a sniper about to shoot."_

The moment the words came out of Diggle's mouth, Oliver was now full on running down the hall. When he reached the door, he pushed it open. His eyes first went to Katie and Bruce who seemed to be in a tight embrace before his eyes went to the window where a red dot was reflecting.

"Get down!" Oliver yelled. In that moment Bruce looked up seeing the dot as well and quickly pulled Katie to the ground just as a bullet crashed through the window shattering it. Bruce threw his body over Katie's as glass went everywhere.

"We have to move Robins."Bruce said before they began crawling toward the door. Oliver ran in meeting her half way before swooping down and lifting her into his arms and carrying her out of the room and away from any windows as quickly as possible. He propped her back against the wall, and placed his hands on the sides of her face as her eyes stayed closed.

"Hey, look at me." Oliver whispered bringing his face closer to hers. "You're alright, just look at me ok." her eyes opened to look at him and the sight of her eyes filled him relief. For just a few moments everything seemed to be collapsing in on him and then he saw her eyes and it just wasn't anymore.

"Is she alright?" Bruce said breathlessly from beside the pair, but no one answer him. Oliver kept his eyes on Katie, because he knew if he turned to the man beside them then he'd show a very different side of himself. They heard multiple footsteps in the hall, but neither turned from the other.

"Oliver-" that was his mother's voice and against every beam of his body he turned away. "Oliver, what's going on? Is everything alright?"

"No." Oliver replied turning back to Katie who had closed her eyes once again. "Someone needs to call the police." he pulled the woman in front of him into a hug, one she didn't pull away from.

It didn't take long before Oliver was able to pull Katie into another office, which didn't have as many massive windows, which he found weren't many. Once he did, Katie sat with her head in her palms as he stood to the side.

"It worries me when you're quiet for a long period time" he said after a couple of minutes of brutal silence. She lifted her eyes to his and just shook her head. "I know there's a lot going on in your head. Just let it out."

"More bullets aimed at me that seem to find others." Katie sighed running her fingers through her hair.

"Katie-"

"Oliver don't." Katie said standing to her feet and walking over to him. "This has gotten way out of hand, and I'd be crazy not to do something about this."

"And you think leaving will somehow make everything better."

"No, but I think people I care about will less like be shot at if I do." Katie replied with a shake of her head.

"So this is about Bruce?" Katie turned to him with a glare before smacking his arm.

"You can't do that. After all this time- I was there, I was right there and you never-" she shook her head, before turning away from him. She hated moments like this sometimes, because they were dancing around a topic neither really wanted to acknowledge. If they were honest they would say it was a topic neither was really even ready to acknowledge. There weapon of choice was avoidance and so that's what she would do. "This isn't about Bruce. This is about this thing that I lead here and now I have get it out of this city before someone is killed."

"Let me help you."

"I would Oliver if I thought you could." Katie muttered before turning back to him. "Actually I wouldn't. Just like you don't want me apart of your other life, I don't want you apart of mine. I can handle this all on my own." she moved around him toward the door barely opening it before he closed it. Katie sighed before she turned and found him standing way too close for her to keep up this strong act she had going. She lifted her eyes to meet him, and despite the will power she thought she had, her eyes went to his lips and the sudden memory of their kiss crept into her brain and her breath hitched as if of it's own free will.

Oliver too found his battle to stay strong and to stay clear headed fleeting in such a close proximity to the woman standing in front of him. Soon it seemed his brain shut off completely and every movement that followed came from some where else. That's the only reason he could come up with for why his hand reached out to her waist pulling her flesh against his chest. He dipped his head so his lips could meet hers, but before they could even reach their target, a knock at the door tore through the room. Both froze for a moment, before Oliver pulled away, taking a step or two back hoping the distance would sober him back up. Katie stood there for a moment just staring at him with a look he couldn't read. She opened her mouth to say something, but there was another knock at the door. She sighed before turning and pulling it open only to come face to face with someone she really didn't want to see.

"Detective Lance." Katie said taking a step back to let the man inside.

"Doctor." Lance greeted as he walked in. He glanced over to Oliver and gave the man a nod. "Mr. Queen." he turned back to Katie with a shake of his head. "Ask me why I'm here?"

"Well a crime was committed and usually when that happens and someone calls the police, they show up." Katie said gesturing to the man. "Unless you're here as an investor."

"Someone just tried to kill you and you joke." Lance sighed before looking down at the note pad in front of him. "At this point I'm not even surprised. Could you recount what happened, Doc?" "I was in the small conference room down the hall with Bruce when a bullet came through the window" Katie said bringing her arms over her chest. "That's it." Lance looked up to her with a quirked brow. "But I'm guessing you think there's more."

"I have another crime scene and you're in the middle of it. What do you think?"

"Are you insinuating that this is somehow her fault?" Oliver asked and the detective shook his head.

"No Mr. Queen, I don't insinuate, I investigate and your friend here has a lot of bad luck for it not to be suspicious."

"Well there was another person in the room." Oliver countered. "Bruce Wayne, a magnet for his own bad luck right? How do you know this doesn't have to do with him?"

"I don't, but don't worry I'm going find out." Lance turned back to Katie who stared back at him. "You know if you've gotten yourself into some trouble, I can help you." As much as she wish it didn't happen, a snort escaped her nose at the statement that she's sure doesn't help her look less suspicious.

"I will definitely keep that in mind detective, thanks." Katie replied before moving from the door. Lance looked between Katie and Oliver before walking out of the room. "John's right, he is like a dog with a bone." she turned back to Oliver whose expression was hard and serious. "What?"

"What are the chances that this happens the day Wayne shows up?" Oliver asks turning to her. "That you're standing in the perfect spot for a sniper to kill you, with him holding you in place."

"Bruce isn't involved in this." Katie replied easily with a shake of her head as she walked over to grab her bag.

"Why, because you've peeled back his layers?" Oliver asked and Katie tossed her purse back down before turning back to him. "It's suspicious-"

"It would be if the way were standing wasn't the perfect way to shoot me and him." Katie replied. "It would be very suspicious if he didn't try to save my life when it happened. Bruce Wayne is a lot of things, but he wouldn't hurt me." Oliver just shook his head in disbelief.

"Would you bet your life on that, because there's something about him. Something that's off and I don't know what it is."

"I do." Katie muttered grabbing her purse and heading for the door. "You're jealous."

"I'm what? Wait-" Oliver quickened his step to block her from leaving. "I'm not jealous, I'm just worried that you're being a little blinded by this guy to think rationally."

"Despite what you think Oliver, I've grown up from that girl who gets taken advantage of by a pretty face and a sweet talker." she tried to move around him, but he moved to once again blocker.

"That's not what I'm saying, this guy has a reputation and-"

"So do you!" Katie countered throwing her hands up in frustration. "All your arguments for why I shouldn't trust Bruce, one could make the same argument for why I shouldn't trust you."

"Hey, I'm nothing like Bruce Wayne." Oliver countered and Katie let out another snort before moving around him, successfully getting out the door. Oliver growled in annoyance before quickly following after her, keeping his eyes scanning the halls as they walked. "I'm just saying-"

"I know what you're saying Oliver, the thing is I trust him. He's a total ass, but I trust him. I will continue to trust him until he gives me a reason not to." Katie replied, but stopped just as she spotted Moira further down the hall. But it was the person she was with that caught her eyes. "Now him I wouldn't trust if you paid me."

"What is Malcolm Meryln doing here?" Oliver asked as they moved down the hall toward the pair.

"Oh, Katherine. Are you alright?" Moira asked bringing the woman into a hug. "I can't believe this happened." she pulled from the hug. "Don't worry, I will be increasing the security of both our building and the surrounding buildings to prevent this from happening again."

"You're one lucky girl." Malcolm spoke from beside Moira. Katie turned to the man with a look of utter disgust. "Maybe you should think about getting some personal security."

"That won't be necessary." Oliver spoke from beside Katie. "I'm here."

"Well you're just one man Oliver." Malcolm replied with a slight nod before turning to Katie. "Luck is something that isn't everlasting. That's one thing I learned. At some point luck runs out." Malcolm said before turning to Moira. "We will talk." Moira simply nodded before the man turned and left. Moira turned back to the pair and smiled before taking Katie's hand in hers.

"Don't worry, I've postponed the meeting and whenever you're ready we can do it." Katie simply nodded her eyes going to the man who stepped on the elevator. Moira followed her eyes, the smile dropping from her face. "There's something I forgot to mention to Malcolm." she turned back to Katie. "If you'll excuse me." the woman turned and rushed over, stepping onto the elevator right before the doors closed.

"Moira, was there something else you needed?" Malcolm asked his attention more on the cell phone in his hand than the glare the woman in front of him was sending.

"What did you do?" Moira asked and at the question Malcolm met her eyes. "In my office, that call, did you have something to do-"

"Before you accuse me of doing something so terrible to the daughter of a dear friend of mine-"

"Oh come off it Malcolm!" Moira snapped angrily. "This is you and me and I know you hated Jacob for not bending to you. And now you're still trying to dig your hooks into his company, but by trying to kill his daughter. Are you insane?"

"I am a business man Moira, so there aren't limits I wouldn't go to be the best I know I am." Malcolm said glancing down to his phone. "Plus it doesn't matter now because she lived to see another day."

"You will not try to hurt her again." that was an order, something Malcolm Meryln did not expect to come out of Moira Queen's mouth.

"I'm sorry Moira?" Malcolm replied taking a step closer to the woman placing himself mere inches away from her. "At what point in our lives did you believe that ordering me to do anything would be in your best interest."

"She has nothing to do with this."

"She made the decision to put herself in the middle of a war she knew nothing about. I tried to help her, tried to get her to see the error of her ways, but she's Jacob Robins' daughter for sure. And if she's not careful, she'll share his fate as well." the elevator doors opened and Malcolm dipped his head to bring it close to hers. "You do not order me to do anything Moira. Let's not forget who is in charge here." and with that the man walked around her off the elevator toward the doors.

It hit Katie once again. Pure exhaustion. This time hard, as she walked down the hall. She spotted a door nearby and quickened her step, only stopping outside of a door. She turned to Oliver who was right there with her before pointing to the door.

"You can't go in there" Katie replied before pushing open the door and walking in. Oliver simply sighed as he looked up to the sign on the door that told him only women were allowed in this bathroom. He did push open the door slightly with his foot.

"Are you alone in there?" he called, but didn't get a quick reply.

"Yeah, why, you still can't come in." Katie replied and he couldn't help but smile.

"You know what doesn't make sense to me?" he said ignoring her comment.

"I'm guessing a whole lot."

"Why would the people from the hospital, the people obviously trained with hand to hand combat, do something as I don't know, simple as trying to shoot you. It doesn't make sense that the people from today, or your lawyer offices, or even the guy from the club would be those guys from the hospital."

"That's because they're not." Katie muttered, but he heard her. He waited for her to continue, but she didn't say anything.

"What do you mean?" he asked and still nothing. His hand reached up to push open the door, just as footsteps sounded behind him stopping him.

"I think that's the ladies restroom." a voice spoke and Oliver inwardly cringed before turning to the man. "I think you're looking for that one down there."

"You're still here?" Oliver asked making sure his annoyance with the fact was clear.

"Yeah, well someone tried to shoot my friend today and I want to make sure she's really alright." Bruce replied with a shrug. "I'm sure you understand."

"I don't, I really don't." Oliver said his temper rising. "I don't understand anything about you. Why are you here?"

"Jacob was a friend and I thought that I should explain some things to her before she signed that contract." Bruce said and the look on Oliver's face made him shake his head. "She needed someone who is familiar with the goings of business who could be honest with her and show her what she isn't seeing."

"Like what?"

"This business can be a dangerous game Oliver, I was just telling her that if she's going to tackle it then she may need some help."

"From you?"

"I have been in this world a lot longer than you. I mean didn't you go from party boy, to being marooned on some island, to being back here. Did I miss the part with you getting a business degree?" Oliver took a dangerous step toward the man and Bruce held his hands up, but he didn't back away. "Look I'm not trying to start a fight with you Oliver, but facts are facts. You can't help her. Hell you can't even keep a decent eye on her." Oliver's brow furrow as Bruce lifted his eyes behind him. Oliver turned following his gaze just in time to see Katie stepping onto the elevator.

"Katie!" he yelled practically running to to catch her. "What are you-" the doors had closed before he could even ask the question. He growled, slamming his fists into the doors of the elevator before turning to Bruce who stood with his hands in his pants. "You know where she's going?"

"No idea, but I hope she gets there before someone can try to shoot her again." the man replied before turning and sauntering down the hall.

Oliver stood there for a full minute before he turned and walked onto the elevator. He decided to go to the foundry where he was sure he would find Diggle and Felicity. The moment he walked through the door, his tie loosen, he looked up to the pair who turned their eyes toward him.

"What the hell happened?" Felicity asked walking over to him. "Another assassination attempt on Twinkie?" Felicity didn't know why, but the nickname was oddly endearing and she liked saying it.

"Yeah." Oliver replied as he took off his jacket and sat it on a nearby table. Felicity and Diggle shared a look of concern before turning back to the man.

"Where is she now?" Diggle asked and Oliver simply shrugged.

"I don't know. She ran off when my back was turned and now I have no idea where she is." Oliver replied with a shake of his head. "Hell she could be out of Starling for all I know."

"Do you want me to see if any cameras-"

"No." Oliver interrupted before looking over to Felicity. "She left of her own freewill so there's nothing left for me to do." that gained him a couple of confused looks from his friends. For the past couple of weeks, Oliver's only concern was making sure Katie was safe, so this total one eighty was very unexpected. "Right now it's time to get back to the job at hand, and that's crossing names off the list." he turned to Felicity. "Any word of John Nickel?"

"Uh, there were a couple of emails that mentioned him coming back to town tomorrow night."

"Good." Oliver said with a nod before turning and walking off.

"Wait." Felicity spoke despite the warning look Diggle was giving her. "That's it." Oliver stopped walking, but he didn't turn to her. "You're giving up on her?"

"I can't give up something I never had." Oliver replied finally turning to her. "She's so hell bent on handling this herself and for the first I'm actually going to let her. If she's successful, well then good for her."

"And if someone kills her-"

"It's not my job to protect her!" Oliver snapped angrily. The words came out of his mouth and still felt like a slap to his own face. "It's not my job to chase her and force her to let me in. She thinks she can do this and so I'm going to let her." Oliver turned and stormed off. Felicity took a step forward, because she wasn't finished, but Diggle caught her arm, stopping her.

"Don't, just stay out of it." Diggle said and Felicity turned her glare to him.

"He's giving up on her."

"I know, but you don't need to get involved in whatever is happening between those two."

"I know you're right, but I still don't like this." Felicity said walking over to her computer.

"You're going to look for her, aren't you?"

"Just because Oliver is giving up on her, doesn't mean I'm going to. Despite what either one of them seems to believe, she needs some kind of help."

It was the late afternoon, and Katie sat on a park bench, a cup of now cold coffee in her hand. Katie liked to think she had a handle on things, that if given an obstacle, she would be able to come up with workable solution. That's what Lian taught her. As much as she hated thinking about her time in hell, she had to admit that she'd learn far more in that time that's helping her now than anywhere else. Maybe someone, somewhere knew she'd be fighting these battles at some point and knew she'd need the training.

There was a conjoining bench behind her, so she knew the moment someone had sat behind her. She didn't speak right away, not even sure what to say.

"You know I could've sworn I heard you say that this meeting would never happen." the female voice said from behind her. "That you would never need my help and that you wanted nothing more than for me to get the hell out of your life."

"That still rings true." Katie said with a shake of her head. "But I think you knew this was going to happen."

"Honestly I didn't." the woman replied with a slight chuckle. "I didn't think you were stupid enough to return home. I remember telling you the trouble that would be awaiting you here."

"Excuse me for not believing the woman who lied to me, watched me tortured and then let me get carted off by people I believe are seriously crazy." Katie turned on the bench to look at the woman. "All my troubles started the moment you and the twisted agency you work for had me kidnapped Agent Waller."

"No." the woman replied turning to Katie as well. "All your problems started the day you were born with the last name Robins. The day you were taken in Bosnia was the day you were at least given a fighting chance."

_Amanda Waller just knew the moment she was given the assignment that it was going to bite her in the ass at some point. But she liked a challenge. Liked to do the things no one believes she can do and this would be no different. She would turn this smart mouth doctor in a soldier if it killed her. Everything was going well. Extremely well actually and then she found out that there was a way this doctor could help with a certain rich boy on one of their islands. It was all happening, and then there was a breach to their facility. She knew who it was, knew why they were there, she just hoped that she'd be able to talk them out of what she knew they were planning._

_It was getting close. They'd found her smart mouth doctor, and blew some weird dust in her face knocking her unconscious. The leader snapped her fingers for the other to grab her, when Amanda took a step forward._

" _Wait!" Amanda yelled. "Look I know there is a contract, but we still need her. We are willing to offer you something else. You know who I represent. Nothing is impossible to acquire." the masked woman simply laughed which on irritated the agent even more, but she didn't show it. She heard quick footsteps behind her and seemed relieved to see the man. His eyes went down to the woman that was being picked up from the ground. The woman that had taken to calling him Lian._

" _What's happening?" he asked turning to Amanda. "Where are they taking her?" Amanda just waved off the question and pointed toward the woman._

" _That's not important now, we can't let them take her. I still need her." the woman urged and Lian turned to the group he'd recognize any day. Amanda listened as he suddenly began speaking Chinese, and the masked woman seemed to stop and listen. She replied in Chinese as well before turning to Waller and giving the woman a nod and turning to leave._

" _She said-"_

" _I know what she said." Amanda said angrily before turning a walking off. "I've had my year and now it's his turn."_

" _What now?!" Lian yelled down the hall._

" _Now you pack your shit. I have a new mission for you in Hong Kong!" the woman said not even turning to see the confused look on his face._

"People are trying to kill me." Katie spoke tearing Agent Waller from her thoughts.

"We know." the woman replied gaining a glare from Katie. The doctor simply shook her head before standing to her feet and preparing to walk away. "You made an enemy when you left us." Katie stopped and turned to her. "And now she knows where you are."

"Then I'll leave. If that bitch wants me then I'll make her work for it."

"She won't have to. You came home and showed her that you have a weakness." Waller stood to her feet turning to the woman. "Relationships are the key to any take down and she now knows yours. So you leave, she'll pull the right strings to bring you back."

"Well can't you find her?"

"Probably, but we truly have no reason to. She isn't our problem, she's yours."

"So that's it? After everything you've done to me, you just leave me on my own?" Waller couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips as she walked around the bench to stand in front of Katie.

"Why did you come to Starling?"

"My father."

"And why did you stay?" that question wasn't one she had a quick answer to. She'd thought about it everyday since her father's funeral. Why was she still in Starling? "If you were truly on your own, there would be nothing keeping you here."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you have a group of friends who have certain skills you're going to need and vice versa. I'm saying that coming here may have been a mistake, but you're here now and that means you're going to have to do what you must to survive." Waller sighed as she glanced around the park with a shake of her head. "Starling is a beautiful city. On the outside at least." she brought her eyes back to Katie. "On the inside-" the woman just shook her head before turning around. "Well I'm sure you're going to find out. Be careful, you're making new enemies too and you don't even know it." and with that the woman turns and walks away. Katie stood there for a couple of minutes, still going over the woman's words until she just couldn't anymore. Katie tossed the cup that she'd held in her hand into a nearby trash before going to hail a cab.

When Katie arrived home the place was painfully quiet. She tossed her things on the couch and began looking around.

"Oliver, are you here?" her questions were answered in silence. She climbed up the stairs and headed straight for him room. It too was empty, but his things were there so that meant he just hadn't been there yet. She let out a deep breath before walking over and taking a seat on the edge of his bed. Her time from that moment was spent staring off at his t-shirt that was hung over a chair. She had dug herself so deep in her head, that she didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep.

_Katie's hand were bound behind her back, and her eyes were covered. It was just as it was the first time, but there was something different. Something inside of her that was different. Before she remembers feeling a gut twisting fear about what was going to happen to her, now she seems anxious. She just wants to know how fucked she is, so she can try to figure out a way to deal with it. They were in a car that was driving over a bumpy road for some time before it stopped. Katie made sure to keep her body still, and hoped that no one suspected that she was awake. There was a loud creak as one of the doors to the vehicle opened, and Katie felt a cold wind cut across her body._

" _I know you're awake." a familiar voice spoke and Katie instantly recognized it as the voice of the masked woman from before. Someone pulled the blindfold from her eyes and Katie had to blink a couple of times before she was used to the light. "You should get up, you have a long journey ahead of you." Katie lifted her body and her eyes widened as she looked out the windows and say nothing but snow. "It's beautiful in the winter, isn't it." This was the first time Katie had seen the outside in who knows how long. She still doesn't even know how much time has passed since she was taken. Whenever she would ask Lian the day, he'd just tell her it didn't matter._

" _Where am I?" Katie asked not sure if she'd even get a truthful answer._

" _This is your new home." the woman said and Katie turned to her, this time not met with a mask. Now met with a woman who didn't look to much older than herself. She was beautiful, Katie had to admit. The woman was handed a pair of boots, to which she tossed to Katie. "Put these on so your feet don't fall off." Katie took the boots before sliding out the backseat of the car. The moment she stood, her arms wrapped tightly around her as she was assaulted by the bitter cold._

" _Do I get a coat or something?" Katie asked. So far she wasn't treated horribly and so she assumed the maybe this place wouldn't be as bad as the one before. The question made the woman laugh with a shake of her head._

" _You're lucky you got the boots." she replied before walking over to stand right in front of Katie. "First rule here, do not run." he eyes looked over the snow and smiled. "You won't get very far and if I have to chase you-" her eyes locked on to Katie's so she could see the seriousness they held. "You won't have to worry about the snow taking your pretty little toes." and with that she turned and walked away. "Move!" Katie's eyes scanned the area quickly, just to make sure there really wasn't anywhere for her to run. There wasn't, and so she knew there was nothing else for her to do but follow. She had no idea what lay ahead of her and she just wasn't sure how she felt about that. The only thing she knows is that it's not fear. She thinks she's beyond that at this point._

There were eyes on her. That was the first thought that struck as she awaken from the dream. When her eyes fluttered open, she found herself totally sprawled out on the bed, her arms wrapped around the pillow that held her head. She turned her head and was met with the confused stare of her friend. Their eyes only met for a minute before he turned and headed for the closet. Katie sat up quickly to see what he was doing. The moment he pulled out his suit case, she just knew where this was going.

"You're leaving?" she asked, but he didn't say anything. He place his suit case on the bed, flipping it open before placing his clothes inside. "So you're giving up?" he stopped for a moment as if he wanted to say something to that, but he chose not to and continued placing his things in his bag. "Good." she said standing from the bed and heading for the door. "Make sure to leave the key on your way out." she was halfway toward her room when she heard his heavy footstep behind her.

"You're the biggest pain in the ass I have ever met!" he snapped and Katie stopped right outside her door before turning to him. "You were this close-" he held up his thumb and index finger close together. "-to having a bullet in your head. You were almost killed and I almost-" he sighed because his next words were sort of hard to say. "I almost lost you and then you just run away." he shook his head. "Now it doesn't even matter, because I get it now. You got this, right? You can handle all of this on your own, without anyone's help. Good luck with that." he turned about to go back to his room.

"Trust no one!" she yelled so loudly that he just had to stop and turn back to her. "For three years those three words were etched into my brain. _"_ she brought her eyes to Oliver who stood unmoving. She had to turn away as she slid her fingers through her hair, ignoring the laughter that wasn't there. "You have no idea what it feels like to-" she just shook her head as thoughts and memories she wished would just die moved through her head.

"What. Happened. To. You?" he asked, every word dripping with concern. It was more serious than anything she'd ever heard from him. She brought her eyes to him and the words couldn't even come out of her mouth. She didn't want to remember or feel any of the crap that came along with those memories. She wanted to forget and talking about the past did not help her do that.

"I can't-"

"Yes you can!" Oliver said walking over to her quickly and cupping her face in his hands to keep her eyes on his. "You can trust me. I get being back here, and not knowing who to trust, but I'm telling you right now that you can trust me. I promise you." His blue eyes gaze into her brown eyes unwavering hoping his words are sinking in. They were close at this point which was dangerous for them. When they were this close, those lines between friendship got blurred and they both begin to cross the imaginary lines they've drawn. When they're this close, they lose focus. That was the one thing both tried their best to hold on to.

"Ok." she breathed before reaching up to take his hand in hers. "Ok." she pulled him with her down the stairs, and for a moment he wasn't sure where she was taking him. It wasn't until they turned down a hall, did he realize what she was doing. She didn't say anything as she reached the basement door and typed in the code, the door popping open instantly. He followed her down the stairs, when lights flickered on. The moment his foot stepped of the last step, his eyes darted across the room. There were weapons that lined the walls of the rooms. When he imagined what she had down here, this definitely wasn't it.

"This is where I go when I feel lost. This where everything make sense."

"Why didn't you tell me about any of this?"

"How was I supposed to do that?" she asked as her eyes went to the weapons. "This room is not Twinkie." That the realization she had the moment the room was finished. It had no remnants of the person she used to be and that's what made her nervous about sharing it with him. Katie turned her eyes back to him. "This room was created because in three years something inside of me was brought out and I don't know how to put it back in. I'm different and I was afraid that if you realized that then you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore."

"Katie-" Oliver said taking a single step toward her. "No matter what happens to you, no matter what happens to me for the matter, you will always be my friend. Nothing changes that."

"Someone almost shot me today, someone almost stabbed and shot me yesterday. I fought some very skilled assassins in a hospital, and plus there's a lot more crap that's been thrown at me and today is the day that I realize that I can't do this alone." Oliver turned at her words. "So fine, I am going to let you in as much as I can, but it will take time and you have understand that." Oliver walked over to her, but he didn't reach out to her like every fiber in his body wanted him to. "And I-" her next words were going to be tough, but she think she needed to say them. They had been dancing around this issue for long enough, and it was time to finally let it out into the air. "I think you should move out." he didn't expect that, and it was obvious from the look on his face.

"What, I thought-"

"Oliver, something is happening here, between us and we can pretend all we want that it's not, but it doesn't change the fact that it is." he didn't say anything which she assumed was just his silent agreement. "There are only two choices, either we do something about this shift or we just stop it before someone gets hurt." she watched as he turned away as if to ponder his choices. It was at this point that she realized there was a small part of her that wanted him choose the first option. "We can't keep kissing and then pretending like we didn't." he turned back to her as she took a step back. "Our relationship shouldn't be so-"

"Confusing." Oliver spoke finally and Katie simply nodded. "You're right. We're friends." the word left a bitter taste in his mouth that he didn't dare show. "That's it." Those words were just too final, and it didn't sit well with either of them. They once again fell into silence, as their eyes seemed to be pulling them closer together. For some reason their words didn't hold much weight with their bodies, that seemed to inching closer. It was at this point that both realized that neither truly believed the words that came out of their mouths. Oliver had to stuff his hands in his pockets because he was moments away from reaching out and grabbing her. He couldn't even hide the fact that with each passing minute the urge to kiss her, to touch her, to do so much more grew inside of him and he wasn't sure what that would mean for the lines that they were drawing today.

"Alright." Oliver said taking a step back, hoping the distance would help.

"Ok, now-" the doorbell rang before Katie could even finish the thought. They both shared a look of confusion before they turned toward the steps. "What time is it?"

"Too late to have any visitors." Oliver replied before rushing for the stairs, and Katie was right behind him. When they reached the door, both stopped before the bell rang again.

"Doctor Robins, it's Detective Lance, please open up!" Oliver and Katie shared a look before Oliver took a step forward to open the door. There standing was Detective Lance standing between two uniformed officers.

"Detective, what is going on here?" Oliver asked but Lance's eyes went to Katie as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper.

"This is a warrant to search the premises of Doctor Katherine Robins." the detective said before nudging his head for the officers to enter.

"You're joking." Oliver said snatching the paper from Lance's hand and reading it over.

"Sorry, Mr. Queen, I'm very serious."

"What is this about?" Katie asked taking a step forward. "What is it you think I did?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I brought everything I had about this latest wave of crimes to a judge and showed him how your name keeps popping up and so he signed this sheet of paper." Lance took the warrant from Oliver's hand and slid it back into his pocket. "Think of it this way, innocent people have nothing to hide."

"Sir!" a voice yelled from down the hall and so Lance went to check it out. Oliver and Katie shared a nervous glance, before turning and following after him. They ended up where they expected, outside the basement door. "Pretty fancy lock." he looked over to Katie. "Open it." Katie folded her arms over her chest defiantly. "You can either open this door, or I can arrest you and then blow this door open. Either way, I'm getting in there."

"Twinkie, just do it." Oliver says and Katie looks up to him with a shake of her head before stepping forward and tying in the code. Once the door opened, Lance and the Officer both placed their hands on their weapons before walking down.

A high pitched whistle came from the detective's lips as he looked around at the room of weapons before turning to Katie.

"Quite a room for some rich doctor. I hope you have licenses for all these." Lance said as he walked to get a closer look. "I'm going to need to take all of this into custody."

"Are you kidding me?" Katie asked taking a step toward the detective, but Oliver pulled her from getting too close.

"I have murder victim and no murder weapon. I just want to make sure it's not down here" Lance replied glancing around the walls. "Bag it and tag it boys." he turned back to Katie. "There's an upstairs, right?" he smirked slightly. "Actually never mind, I'll show myself around." And with that the man was off to poke and prod Katie's house.

"You don't see it now, but this is good." Oliver whisper, his arm snaking around her back and turning her to him. "He's going to search the house, test these weapons and he's going to find nothing. Just stay calm and cooperative. Smile even." Katie simple plastered on a tight fake smile and Oliver just shook his head. "Not your creepy smile." she slapped his arm before turning and heading up the stairs. Oliver looked over to the officers who were plucking weapons from the wall, and he still couldn't explain the surprise of this room. It just made him that much more curious about those three years she refuses to talk about.

There were a lot of things Bruce Wayne had seen, but none quite compared to the glittering scene of Starling City. Much like his own city, it was the epitome of the saying that everything the glitters isn't gold. Starling was beautiful on the outside, but underneath the surface he knew it's secrets. He knew just how dark and ugly the city was. His oversized room was too big in his opinion, but the minute he walked in he was bombarded by the staff and he pretty much just agreed to anything to get them to stop talking.

He brought his glass of bourbon to his lips as he turned from the window to his bed that was covered with papers. He let out a frustrated groan under his breath when there was a knock at his door.

"How's your day, Mr. Wayne?" Bruce mocked to himself as he sat his glass down. "Can we get you anything, Mr. Wayne?" he sighed. "Just leave me-" he pulled open the door, and found that it wasn't a staff member of the hotel at his door at such a late hour. "Agent Waller?"

"Mr. Wayne," the woman greeted. "Are you going to let me in, or shall I stay out here?" she glanced down the empty halls before turning back to him, just as he stepped aside.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce asked walking over to pick up his glass. He looked over to see the woman moving to stand in the place in front of the window to look out at the city.

"How is the plan coming along?" Waller asked not bothering to turn to him.

"Well she's stubborn." he brought the glass to his lips once again, and downed the contents in one gulp. "I guess you did that, huh?" he walked over to the bar and poured himself another glass. "You took her fear."

"No, we just taught her how to suppress it just as we do all our people." the woman looked over to him. "It's still in there, you just have to find something she can't suppress."

"Queen." the man said with a shake of his head. "You left that part out when you came to me."

"You knew there were feelings-"

"I knew once upon a who gives a shit, that she had a crush. What I saw today was beyond that. What I saw today were two people who had very strong feelings toward each other. What I saw today is going to make what I have to do that much harder."

"Well we've assumed you weren't the kind of man to give up when the going gets tough. We had an agreement, and-"

"Do not worry agent Waller, I understand the importance of our agreement. I just don't understand the point of keeping her in the dark."

"She's volatile. Unpredictable, and fine I will accept ARGUS' part in doing that to her, but at the moment it doesn't matter. What does matter is that she doesn't sign that contract with Queen Consolidated, and that Malcolm Merlyn is taken care of."

"I'm not killing him. That's not what I do. I'll convince her to leave Starling, to come to Gotham with me-"

"That's a waste of time and you know it. She knew the world of dangers that lied here before she stepped on that plane."

"She came here for her father and now-"

"Now she's here because she's fallen under the biggest weakness there is." the woman shook her head and turned back to look out the window. "You know what's strange? Once upon they were the plan. They were supposed to-" she let out a tired sigh before bringing her bag back to her shoulder and turning to the man. "It doesn't matter. You want to get her out of this city, then you're going to have to sever the reason she's still here." she walked passed him toward the door. "I honestly think my idea is quick and easier-"

"But we agreed to do things my way." Bruce countered and the woman simply gave him a nod.

"Malcolm Merlyn can't get his hooks into Jacob's company under any circumstances."

"I completely agree."

"I'm glad we agree on something Mr. Wayne." and with that the agent turned and left the man with simply her words.

Bruce walked back over to the large window and looked out at the city. He brought his glass to his lips and took a long gulp, letting that good burn stream down his throat.

"Sever the reason she's here..." he muttered with a shake of his head. "Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be here a while?"

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**A Tale of Two Heroes**

_"Nothing is given to man on earth - struggle is built into the nature of life, and conflict is possible -_

_the hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent_

_him from pursuing the values he has chosen."_

_-Andrew Bernstein_

* * *

There are just some things you know are a bad idea before you even do them. Oliver was standing on the combat mat, watching Katie stretch with the thought that what they were about to do was not going to end well. Well that was one thought, the other was why the hell did she have to wear such tight yoga pants. That thought he chose to ignore though...or at least he tried.

"You sure you want to do this?" Oliver turned to Diggle who'd looked unsure as well when the idea was brought up. "I just think this could escalate very quickly if you're not careful."

"I'm fully aware, which is why I'm going to be the clear headed one here" Oliver said stretching his arms as well. "Plus I have to admit I am kind of curious." he looked over to Diggle who simply shook his head. "You are too."

"I am, but I can live without an answer to this question." Diggle replied before turning and walking off.

"Ok, I'm back!" Felicity called as she rushed down the stairs with a large bowl of popcorn. She plopped down in her seat that she had strategically placed to give her the optimal view. "Let's do this!"

"You're a little too enthusiastic, don't you think?" Diggle asked from his spot beside her.

"When do we get to have fun like this?" she asked as she looked over to Katie who was pulling her hair up into a high pony tail. "Plus this is one of those times where you don't know how it's going to end."

"You think she could beat him?"

"I think it is very possible." Felicity replied before popping a kernel into her mouth as she turned back to the pair.

"You sure you want to do this?" Oliver asked and Katie looked over to him with a roll of her eyes. He'd asked her the same question every couple of minutes since they changed out of their street clothes. When she proposed a friendly spar, she didn't even think that he would consider it, but she could be very persuasive when she wanted to so after a enough nagging she finally got him to agree.

"Oliver Queen, you're acting like we're about to jump off a bridge. It's sparring, and you agreed to do this to get my mind off the fact that after three days Detective Lance still hasn't returned my things."

"Yeah, should we be worried about that?" Diggle asked and she turned to him with a shake of her head.

"No, nothing he found in my house connects me to any of his cases and he knows it. He's getting desperate." she shook her head with a slight look of guilt passing over her face. "But Oliver is right. He'll look and find nothing and then hopefully he'll move on."

"So any information about who our bathroom assailants are?" Diggle asked ignoring the glare Oliver was sending him. If Oliver was fine with the slow and steady pace his Twinkie doing with the secrets, that was fine, but if they were going to help her, then they needed to know the facts.

"John-"

"Should I not be asking these questions, Oliver?" Diggle asks his eyes still on Katie who turns away from him. "We can't help her if she won't let us." Katie turned back to the man whose awaited for her answer.

"He's right." Katie said turning to Oliver who too seemed to be awaiting her answer. "I told you that I would let you in. And I can do that, I just-" she shook her head opening her mouth just as a cell phone suddenly started ringing. Everyone looked around for it's source, but it was Katie who pulled it from her nearby bag. "It's me."

"New phone?" Felicity asked and Katie nodded.

"Well I lost my other one." Katie replied before bringing the phone to ear. "I didn't give you this number."

 _"Well I'm very resourceful Ms. Robins._ " Bruce Wayne's smooth voice spoke from her phone. _"I need to talk to you."_

Katie glanced over to Oliver who watched her closely as spoke. She turned away slightly.

"About what?"

_"I'd rather speak to you in person. Want to grab some lunch?"_

"Um-" she looked over to Oliver who now seemed to be walking closer to her. "Sure, text me the address."

_"See you soon Robins."_

Katie ended the call just as Oliver appeared in front of her. She chose to ignore the look he was giving her as she slid her phone back in her bag.

"Who was that?"

"It was Bruce. He wants to meet for lunch."

"What, like a-" the question seemed caught in his throat, but he just had to ask. "Like a date?" Katie met his eyes and saw how the idea seemed to be ruffling his feathers so to speak, and a part of her, a part she wasn't proud of, actually like seeing it.

"It's two people eating food together, that's it." Katie said with a nod before heading off to change. "This doesn't mean you're off the hook. I will get a chance to open up a can of whoopass." Oliver furrowed his brow as he watched her entering to bathroom.

"In her defense that was a pretty popular phrase four years ago" Felicity said, adding a sigh. "Anyone else bummed that we don't get to see the epic battle between Twinkie and Liver." Oliver turned to her. "Oh yes, I am helping that stick." the woman stood to her feet popcorn in her hands as she headed over to her computers.

"Saved by the bell." Diggle muttered with a shake of his head. "Just so I'm clear, at some point we're going to actually stop shooting arrows in the dark, right? I mean you can't honestly think you can help this woman if she isn't honest with you? You can't honestly expect us to follow when we don't know what teaming up with her will take us?"

"The only thing I want from you John is to trust me. I get you don't know her, and I understand that you're struggling to do just that, but once upon a time you met a spoiled rich kid who turned out to be something else." Diggle turned away, knowing at some point that was going to be brought up. "Whatever happened to her, I'm not even sure she understands it and it's hard on her. She smiling and she's cracking jokes, but I can see it. She's barely keeping her head above water."

"That doesn't stop the danger that's aimed at her and now us."

"No it doesn't, but there was danger aimed at us the moment I put the hood on and the moment you decided to trust me." Oliver placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Right now, I'm just asking you to trust me on this." Just then Katie walked from the bathroom, now dressed in jeans and a Starling University hoodie. "You know I meant to ask, where the hell did you get that?" Katie looked over to him before following his eyes and laughing.

"Do you remember stoner Dave?" Katie asked and Oliver nodded slowly.

"I'm not sure how I could forget the guy who was arrested for filling the principal's office with three hundred pounds of weed for expelling him." Oliver said gaining a look from John. "Yeah, that guy existed." he turned back to Katie.

"Yeah, well we may have dated for a brief period." she looked down to the hoodie. "One summer you were off with your other friends and my dad thought it would be fun to intern at the company in an attempt to sway me to go to business school instead of medical school." she shook her head with a smile. "I used to hide out at the park by the lake, and I would run into him and one thing led to another."

"He was a stoner!" Oliver said a little louder than he expected. "And he always smelled like hamburgers." Katie burst into laughter with a shake of her head.

"He worked at Burger Hut before they burned down."

"Let me guess he burned it down?" Oliver asked and Katie shook her head.

"Nope, I sort of did." she replied and Oliver's eyes widened. "In my defense, I was going through a phase and Stoner Dave was oddly attractive."

"I dated a guy like that." Felicity chipped in. "Except my guy was Stoner Pete." Felicity turned away in thought. "There was something alluring about him, I just don't remember what it was."

"It's because you were high Felicity." Oliver said turning back to Katie. "And so were you." Katie just shrugged before bringing her bag over he shoulder. "I doubt Stoner Dave went to SU"

"No, he stole it for me. It was sort of the best gift anyone had ever given me."

"What? I've given you nice things."

"Death flowers Liver. You gave me death flowers."

"That was one time and I apologized." Oliver replied as he followed after her toward the stairs, but Katie stopped and turned to him.

"Where are you going?"

"I was just going to give you a ride to this food between friends thing." Oliver replied before his eyes widened with a thought. "You know what, I'm a friend like person too, I should join you guys."

"Fine." Katie said to Oliver's surprise. "But at the moment, I think the no shoes, no shirt, no service is still a thing." she let her eyes scan over his bare chest quickly before meeting his eyes. "Go get changed." he narrowed his eyes at her. "What?"

"You're going to leave as so on as I go get changed."

"Why would I do that? That would be mean."

"Yeah, it would but you're going to do it." Oliver replied before letting out a deep breath. "I can be ok with this." this time Katie narrowed her eyes at him. "Be careful and if you run into trouble-"

"Stop, drop and roll. I know Liver." Katie said with a smile before lightly nudging his shoulder. "Don't worry so much."

"That is easier said than done." Oliver replied as he watched Katie turn and head up the stairs. "Have fun Mrs. Stoner Dave."

"Ha ha." Katie deadpanned before finally leaving. Oliver smiled to himself before turning to see Diggle and Felicity standing there looking at him.

"What?"

"Nothing, you two are just adorable." Felicity said with a smile. "I totally ship you two." Oliver and Diggle both shared a look before turning back to the woman. "Oh use the internet, why don't you." and with that the woman turned and head back over to her precious computers.

Katie was grabbing her phone from her bag as she walked through the empty club, before hearing the sound of the door opening. It wasn't until she looked up did she see the face of the man who'd been totally avoiding her for days.

"Tommy-"

"What are you doing here?" Tommy asked freezing in place. Katie watched him in confusion as he she watched how strangely he was acting.

"Tommy I-" she took a step forward only for him to back away. "I'm not going to hurt you, you have to know that."

"I don't know anything anymore." Tommy said with a shake of his head before walking around the woman, making sure to keep as much distance from her as possible. "Everyone I thought I knew, turns out I didn't know them at all."

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that, but you have to trust me those were some very bad people."

"Trust you?" Tommy let out a snort. "That's rich. Look whatever, I didn't tell the police what I saw, so you don't have to worry about your little secret. All I ask in return is that you stay the hell away from me."

"Tommy. I'm-"

"You know I'm starting to believe that maybe me not liking you all those years ago wasn't just some screwed up projection from my father. Maybe I knew there was just something about you I didn't like."

"That's harsh." Katie replied taking a step back. "But I guess I deserve it. Look I'm sorry, and I'll accept your wishes." she turned to leave, but stopped glancing over to him one more time. "The world isn't black and white. There's a lot of gray, so sometimes what we think is happening, what you think is true, just isn't." she gave him one final nod before turning and walking out of the club.

_Dark hallways seemed to be a trend Katie noticed as she followed behind the woman who had yet to give her name. Katie kept quiet, and kept her eyes straight ahead, surprisingly thanking the heavens for Lian's lessons in survival. This place looked more medieval than the other. There were torches clamped to the walls as light, which made the place look that much more menacing._

" _Do you know why you're here?" the woman asked for the first time since they entered and Katie was truly unsure what to say. The woman looked over her should when she didn't get an answer. "Do you know where you are?"_

" _At this point I don't think it matters, does it?" Katie asked and the corners of the woman's mouth lifted ever so slightly in a smile, before she turned back around. "There was a contract mentioned before."_

" _You're definitely asking the wrong questions" the woman replied with a chuckle as they passed by a room that deemed to be filled with black-clothed men who were intensely fighting. Katie slowed a bit to look into the room, but was nudged from behind to keep going._

" _Where am I?" Katie asked once again hoping to get a better answer than the one she'd gotten before._

" _All good things come to those who wait." the woman said playfully. "My father taught me that."_

Katie stepped from the cab, her eyes drawn to the restaurant Bruce had texted for her to come. She just shook her head as she slammed the taxi's door closed. She glanced over her shoulder at the car that pulled up a couple of feet down the street. It was the same car that had been following behind the taxi since she left the the club. With a roll of her eyes, Katie turned back to the restaurant with a sigh.

"I have really unpredictable friends." she muttered before walking ward the restaurant. The moment she did, she was struck with the smell of grilled meat, and onions. She spotted Bruce sitting in the far corner of the restaurant, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows as he took a bite of of his sandwich. Katie couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips as she walked over to him. When he finally saw her, he smiled, food still in his mouth which made her grimace.

"I'm seriously starting to think all my friends are cheapskates." Katie said sliding her bag to the back of the chair across from him. "What are we doing here?"

"This place has the best sandwiches in Starling." he glanced down to the sandwich with way more affection than he really should. "It's art."

"I can tell. You didn't even wait for me to get here before ordering." Katie said with a shake of her head.

"Don't worry, I'm getting another." he countered with that same Bruce Wayne smile. He gestured to the seat across the table. "Sit, order something."

"Yeah, just give me one second." Katie replied when she looked over her shoulder to the woman sitting in the booth across the restaurant hiding her face behind a menu. "I just have to deal with a pain my ass." Katie walked over and slid into the seat across from the woman, snatching the menu from her hand. "What are you doing Laurel?" The woman pulled off her sunglasses, and baseball cap, and sending a dark looking over to Katie. "I doubt your dad would enlist the help of legal aid attorney Laurel Lance."

"What are you in to?" Laurel asked leaning slightly across the table. "First you almost got Oliver killed at your father's law offices, and then it's Tommy at the restaurant. If you're into something illegal-"

"Laurel stop talking." Katie interrupted without hesitation. "You have no idea what you're talking about, so I think you should get up and walk out that door before you do or say something you might regret."

"Is that a threat?" Laurel asked sitting back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're full of surprises, aren't you Twinkie? What do you think he's going to do when he finds out the truth about you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oliver. I'm talking about Oliver and the fact that for some reason he seems so guilt ridden that he feels he actually has to be friends with you. Once he sees the truth-"

"This truth you think you know from all the five minutes we've had a conversation. You just can't get over the fact that, weird fat girl Twinkie is shaking up the order of things. You're the girl all the guys are supposed to want, right. You should be the center of their world, huh?"

"Trouble follows you and if it gets to him because of it-"

"Oliver is a big boy, I'm sure he can take care of himself." Katie stood to her feet from the booth and moved toward Laurel bending over so her face was close to hers so there was no doubt to the seriousness of the next words she spoke. "You're going to stop following me. I mean if trouble truly does follow me, you wouldn't want to get tangled up in it, now would you?" Laurel turned away from her, and Katie had to hide the smile that threatened to crawl to her lips. She shouldn't take as much pleasure out of intimidating the woman as she was, but she just couldn't help it. "Now that was a threat." she stood up straight and walked back over to Bruce, who hadn't turned from the scene since it started. He looked over just as Laurel stood to her feet, and stalked out the door angrily.

"Friend of yours?" Bruce asked as Katie sat across from him.

"Farthest thing from it." Katie replied lifting a menu and reading it over. "She is Oliver's ex girlfriend."

"Oh, I get it." Bruce said before taking another bite of his sandwich. Katie glanced over to him from over her menu with a furrowed brow.

"Get what?"

"She's marking her territory."Bruce said with a shrug.

"It's not her territory since when referring to her, I used the word ex- girlfriend." Katie said dropping her eyes back to the menu. "She seems to think that being friends with me puts him in danger."

"What do you think?" Bruce asked, and she didn't say anything right away. He reached over and pushed the menu from in front of her, so he could see her face. "How long have we known each other Robins?"

"Too damn long." Katie muttered sliding back in her seat.

"Exactly, so when I tell you something you know it comes from the right place." Bruce replied and Katie just knew he was about to say something she wasn't going to like. "Oliver Queen-"

"Don't do that." Katie said interrupting him. "You can't do that. We're just friends, let's just leave at that."

"I would if I wasn't there to witness it. I had a front row seat, and I saw the way he looked at you and I saw the way you were looking at him." Bruce moved the remnants of his sandwich aside so he could reach over and take Katie's hand in his. "Staying here is dangerous, and Oliver Queen shouldn't be the reason you risk everything." she pulled her hands from his with a shake of her head. "I remember one time you came to stay with me while your parents went on some vacation or whatever and you told me that you had a crush on a boy who was totally oblivious to the fact."

"Is this why you called me here?"

"I don't think he's oblivious now." Bruce continued knowing what he was saying, she didn't want to hear. "Hell I think he may actually have feelings for you, and yet he has done nothing about it."

"And your point?"

"My point is, you're staying here because of some fantasy you have that one day he will choose you, but he won't." he saw a flash pain move over her face as she turned away from him. He knew they were harsh words, but he needed her to hear them. He needed her to believe them. "You know he won't."

"He kissed me." Katie said turning back to the man. "I don't know why, but he did and so this theory that I'm so abhorrent that he wouldn't even consider it-"

"That's not why he won't. You're a beautiful woman Robins, and I can see why he would kiss you, but I doubt it will go beyond that."

"Why?"

"Because if he really wanted you, nothing would hold him back. He wouldn't wait, or hesitate. You're the one thing in his world that makes sense. He's holding onto you to keep his head above water, that's it. One day he's not going to need you to be his lifeguard, and then what will it have all been for?" Katie remained silent, and Bruce tried to figure out what she was thinking which was always difficult with the woman in front of him. "I made you a promise, not too long ago." she turned back to him. "We've seen a lot Robins, I don't want anything to happen to you."

"You think Gotham is where my happy ending lies?"

"I think Gotham is where you at least get a fighting chance at a happy ending. You can finally start new and not be held in place by this Twinkie person." he watched her closely hoping to get a feel for what was going through her head. "I can help you. Actually, no, I think that we can't help each other. We could be a team."

"A team?"

"Yeah, I mean I have been trying some new things and I think that I could use someone like you." Katie brought her hands under her chin as she studied the man across from her. "Just say you'll think about it."

"If I do will you let me eat in peace."

"Absolutely."

"Fine." she replied picking up her menu once again. "I'll think about it." A satisfied smile came to the man's lips as he brought his sandwich back in front of him.

When Oliver finally came upstairs to the club, he found Tommy standing near the bar reading over something.

"Hey." Oliver spoke, slightly startling Tommy who turned and gave the man a blank look before looking back down to what he was reading.

"So she's a part of your club too?" Tommy asked picking up the papers and moving around the bar as he began inspecting some of the bottles. "I don't know why I should even be surprised."

"It's not like that." Oliver said taking a few steps closer.

"What is it like then Oliver!" Tommy snapped glaring over to the man he thought he knew. "One day I find out my best friend likes to kill people with arrows and then I find out that my other friend is some sort of assassin."

"She's not an assassin. Those people in that bathroom were sent to kill her." Tommy scoffed and just turned his back to the man. "I know it's hard to believe, but Katie was-she was defending herself and you." Tommy stopped at those words. "I mean she's Twinkie right?" Tommy turned around. "Twinkie is good. That I would stake my life on."

"You didn't see her. It was like she was someone else. And to her, every movement was natural." Tommy shook his head. "I know I don't know her as well as you do, but the little time I spent with her, I never saw her like that." he met Oliver's eyes and asked a question he desperately wanted an answer to. "What happened to her?" Oliver turned away slightly as he heard the question that had been repeated in his own head for so long. He wished he had an answer, but he doesn't.

"I honestly don't know, but know matter what happened to her, she's still Twinkie." Tommy turned back to the bottles, and just stood there for a few moments before turning back to Oliver.

"You know I thought that I could justify in my head being alright with this." Tommy said walking around the bar and over to Oliver. "It's just I look at you and I look at Katie and I don't see anyone that I trust."

"Tommy-"

"I compromised a lot for you and helping you hide your secret from the world even when you thought I could've been dealing drugs. It's just not even worth it anymore." Tommy shook his head before turning and heading for the door. "I quit!" Oliver took a step forward wanting nothing more than to talk him out of this, but he doesn't even think he can. Oliver just stands there and watches his friend walk out on him without a second glance.

Felicity stared down to her near empty bowl of popcorn mentally chastising herself for not making more. There was a beep from one of her monitors which drew her attention. Felicity typed a few keys before something she didn't expect appeared on her screen.

"This is strange." She muttered to herself, but John wasn't too far and heard her.

"What's up?" he asked walking up beside her, his eyes going to the screen. "Is that-"

"Our two mystery assassins, yes it is." Felicity replied as she typed a couple of more keys. "I'd had their faces going through every database I could get into which is a lot, but after the first couple of days of coming up with nothing, I assumed there was nothing."

"What does that mean?" John asked as he read over the information below the pictures.

"It means that whoever was trying to keep this information under wraps messed up." Felicity said leaning in a bit closer to the screen. "Oh my gosh, these guys are wanted in connection to espionage, terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and things I didn't even know people actually did. These people were monsters." she looked over to Diggle whose eyes were still on the screen.

"Yeah, and look who there most recent connection was with." Diggle said pointing to a particular entry on the screen. Felicity followed his eyes and was shocked at what she read. "I'm going to go get Oliver. He's not going to believe this." John turned and quickly rushed upstairs.

When Katie finished off the rest of her sandwich, she looked over to Bruce who waited for her to finally give an opinion.

"Fine, it was a good sandwich." She replied as she wiped her mouth. She let her eyes wander around the small little sandwich shop. There weren't many people, which she figures was a plus for the man sitting across from her. "Why aren't we being bombarded with flashing lights, and questions about our impending wedding."

"You know I saw that we were already married, and that I came here because I saw you getting cozy with Oliver." Bruce said laughing to himself.

"The stories that are created from a couple of pictures." Katie said with a shake of her head as she stood to her feet. "I should get going-"

"You have somewhere to be?" Bruce asked standing to his feet as well, grabbing his jacket.

"Not really, why?" she eyed him suspiciously as a mischievous smile graced his lips. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well when I walked in, I noticed this flyer." Bruce pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Katie. "It looked like something you might like." Katie unfolded the paper and couldn't hold her laughter.

"You're asshole." she said shaking her head as she read the flyer.

"The Three Stooges Meet Hercules." Bruce said glancing down to the flyer. "It's playing down in the park today. You like them right?" she looked over to him and couldn't help but smile. "That hasn't changed, I hope."

"Stop being so damn charming and c'mon." Katie said grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

Felicity and Diggle stood off to the side as Oliver stood reading the screen. There weren't many words, but he stood bent over the screen without saying a word for far longer than both knew was necessary.

"Oliver-" Diggle's words were cut off by Oliver raising a hand for him to stop. Diggle glanced over to Felicity who looked nervous as she watched the man. Oliver finally made a movement when he stood up straight and snagged his phone from his pocket. "Is this when it starts?" Diggle asked and Oliver turned to him. "Is this when you finally realize all the secrets have to end." Oliver didn't say anything as he dialed a familiar number and brought the phone to his ear.

Katie stood beside Bruce's car, watching the man sign autographs and taking pictures. Sure he hadn't done anything but have his name on the side of a building and that somehow made him someone everyone wanted to know.

When her phone rang, she didn't even need to look at the caller ID to know who it was. She wasn't proud, but a smile crept on her face as she turned and brought the phone to her ear.

"You were doing so well Liver." Katie spoke as she looked up to the large screen that was being set up in the park. "What's up?" he didn't say anything right away, which Katie knew meant something wasn't right. "Oliver-" she looked down to her phone to make sure the call didn't drop or something, before bringing it back to her ear. "Oliver, what-"

 _"Why is the Chinese Triad trying to kill you?"_ Oliver asked.

The moment the question came out of his mouth, Katie felt her blood run cold. She thought for sure that she would be the one to control her story, but she underestimated Oliver's curiosity. She thought for sure that he would give her space, that he would allow her wait until she was ready, but she was wrong.

" _Answer me!"_ his voice was aggressive, different than how he usually spoke and that's when she realized who was talking to her at the moment. It wasn't Oliver, or her Liver. It was the hood and she really didn't like him too much.

"Isn't this a conversation we'd usually have with me tied to a chair?" Katie asked, her voice low, different as well. "I thought you understood-"

_"I don't, I'm trying to, I really am, but every time I think I understand you, when I think I got a grasp of who Twinkie is, something like this happens and I'm back in the dark. Answer the question."_

“Look Oliver, just-" something caught her eye. Someone moving in she shadows. Her eyes scanned the area and she spotted someone else. When she turned around, she looked over to Bruce who too seemed to be looking out at something that caught his eyes.

" _Katie, what-"_

"I wish I could do this now, but something is happening."

" _What_ -"

"You want answers, and I wish-I wish I could give them to you now, but that's not possible." figures started stepping from hiding spots making themselves visible. No one was looking at them, no one but her. "They got me."

" _Katie, what-"_

"So right now I'm going to do what I promised myself I wouldn't do." she began backing away from Bruce's car.

"Katie!" Bruce called, and Katie glanced over to him, meeting his eyes and in that moment he knew what she was thinking. "Don't."

"Just-" her eyes began scanning around, knowing they were getting closer. "Find me." and with that she let the phone slip from her hands before she turned and ran as fast as her feet would take her. Soon the only sound she heard was her labored breaths, and the ramming of her heartbeat in her ears. She could feel them behind her. Lots of them, moving quickly. Running was useless, and yet she refused to be caught. She refused to just give up.

Soon it didn't even matter. Katie was about to run across the street when a white van screeched to a halt in front of her. She turned about to run away, but she was surrounded. The sound of the van door slid open and she heard the sound of high heeled feet touching the cement, and she turned to a face she never thought in a million years she'd see in Starling city.

"Hǎojiǔ bùjiàn." the woman purred, her ghost white hair blowing in the wind. "We have some catching up to do." she stepped aside and pointed toward the van. "Get in." Katie didn't move, which was dangerous all in itself. The woman standing in front of her was a tiny thing, who was way more dangerous than she looked. Not a word was spoken after that, but the woman gave Katie a look that spoke volumes. And just like Katie's feet were moving toward the van. A smart person knows a losing battle when she finds one. An even smarter person knows all battles can be won if given a little time. That's all she needed really.

From across the street, Bruce stood breathing heavily watching as Katie stepped into the side of van, the woman with white hair right behind her. He quickly took out his cell phone, and snapped a couple of pictures of the woman, and the van before it sped away. The moment they were gone, he pressed a single button before bringing the phone to his ear.

" _Sir, I see your time in Starling is proving more interesting than anticipated."_ Alfred Pennyworth greeted. " _I just saw you and Ms. Robins on the front cover of some magazine and-"_

"Alfred, this isn't a social call." his voice was serious, and had taken a tone that Alfred had become all too familiar with. "I need it." Bruce had turned and headed back toward the park for his car.

_"I thought part of the allure of going to Starling was that you took a break from the other guy for a while sir."_

"Yeah, well it seems the other guy is needed in Starling city." Bruce replied as he approached his car, pressing a single button on his keys causing the doors to lift open. "I need the suit as soon as you can get it here."and with that the man ended the call before dropping into his seat and speeding off.

When the call ended Oliver froze for a second. Just for a second. So much happened in that second. Things that even he wasn't fully aware of. What he was aware of that two simple words changed him from Oliver Queen to the vigilante just like that.

"Oliver." Felicity's small voice spoke, a look of nervousness washing over her as she looked at the man. He didn't say anything. He simply sat his cell phone down before turning and heading to go suit up. "Oliver, what-" Oliver stopped moving against every beam in his body. He stopped and turned to his friends, his team as they stood and waited for him to instruct them, to give them the next move, which at the moment was difficult. Right now two words replayed in his head..two words. _"Find me."_

"Oliver what are we doing here?" Diggle asked and Oliver turned to him as if the answer was obvious. "What's going on?"

"The triad has Katie." Oliver spoke, each word causing a knot in his gut. "Our next move is to find her." he looked over to Felicity. "I want you to access every camera in this city for Katie. I want to know where she is."

"Oliver, are you really-" Oliver turned to the man with a look that made his question pointless. Diggle could see the determination in Oliver's eyes. He could see that nothing was going to stop him. Diggle simply turned away, and with that Oliver turned snatching his bow from the table.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Searching for Home**

_"You never know what events are going to transpire to get you home."  
Og Mandino_

* * *

_Katie wanted to die. She wanted her life to end, and simply be no more. It was a bold statement, she was very aware, but she really didn't think she could handle this anymore. The being kept prisoner and not know why. Katie was lost. She'd been kidnapped by one set of kidnappers and now it seemed there was some contract that would move her to some others._

_When she walked through the doors of her new hell, she truly and honestly had no idea what her future held. At this point she didn't even know if she'd see tomorrow. There was this man who she figured was really in charge, but she wouldn't see him. Not yet anyways. According to the woman whose name still is not given to her...actually no one told her their names. She was surrounded by nameless people whose intentions weren't clear. She was placed in a room. A bit of an upgrade from her cell in hell number one. She had a bed, not terribly comfortable, but it wasn't horrible and she had a window. That was the one thing she loved. Even though Katie couldn't step one foot outside these walls, she loved being able to look out to world. With that window, she knew there was still a world out there and there was always a chance that she would see it. Even though the room was different, it shared a single flaw with its predecessor. It was a prison. She never left these walls since she'd been pushed inside. Her days were spent waiting for something to happen._

_One day, like many other days, Katie sat at the window sill and looked out at the beautiful scenery of the unknown place she was forced to dwell. There was a knock at her door that startled her. There were only three knocks on her door that happened at the same time each day. Those were for meals, and since she'd eaten her lunch just moments earlier, she knew something was happening. Katie stood to her feet, but didn't move toward the door. She'd spent weeks waiting for some sort of interactions between her and her captors. It's how she would learn their motive, or maybe what they wanted out of all of this. She assumed a long time ago this wasn't about money. It was something else. Another knock, and her fists clenched at her side. She waited for this moment, but now that she was in it, it made her nervous. Up until this point, predictability was her solace. She woke up, she ate, she slept and then she would do it again. Katie wasn't naive to believe that this would be her life. She knew at some point something more was going to happen. The moment was now._

_There weren't anymore knocks. The sound of a key entering her door, and the click of it unlocking caused her to stop breathing. In the next few moments, to this day she doesn't quite understand. The door pushed open and there stood someone she didn't expect to see._

" _Ms. Robins?"_

_Katie's fists unclenched and a breath, a deep breath of relief escaped her lungs at the sight of the man in front of her._

" _Mr. Ellis." Katie's voice cracked with emotion as she stood looking upon the face of someone she didn't expect to be so happy to see. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you." she took a step toward him and his hand quickly grabbed a gun that was tucked in his waist band and aimed it at Katie. Her eyes widened as she looked between the man and his gun, all hope she'd just conjured up melting away just as fast as it came._

" _I'm sorry." Martin Ellis said, his voice dripping with nervousness. Even his hands slightly shook, which is not a positive trait in a person who holding a gun. "I'm not here to take you home."_

" _Did you do this?!" Katie asked angrily. "Is this some extortion bullshit to get money from my father you son of a bitch!" Katie took a step forward, and the grip the man had on the gun tightened. "I could take that from you, you know." her voice had changed it’s tone, which made the man holding the gun that much more nervous. "All this time, I've been doing nothing but learning how to get out of situations just like this one." her eyes went to his gun. "You could be dead before your finger even slides to that trigger."_

" _You do that and you never get home." Martin replied and Katie met his gaze. "I know you don't understand all of this and I wish-" he took in a deep breath, and wiped one sweaty palm on his pant leg. "You have to complete the process."_

" _What process?" Katie asked._

" _A test. One you must pass to meet him." Martin said with a nod. "And you have to meet him. It only works if he sees you."_

" _What are you talking about?" Katie asked when the man suddenly reached behind him, a movement that had Katie on the offensive, her fists once again clenching ready for a fight. She didn't expect him to pull out a thick, folded up manila envelope, and toss to her feet._

" _Everything you need to know is in there." Katie didn't move not wanting to take her eyes off the man with the gun for even a second. "It happens tonight."_

" _What happens tonight?" Katie asked._

" _You're going to prove you're worth it." the man said before quickly turning and rushing out the door, closing and locking it behind him. Katie stood there for a second trying to make sense of what just happened. Her eyes looked down to her feet to the folder before she reached down and picked it up. She reached inside and pulled out the first thing her fingers touched, which turned out to be a photo of an Asian woman who she'd never seen before. Katie looked at the picture for a second before flipping it over, the word "TARGET" written in bold letters across the back above a name. Katie turned the photo and looked at the image for a while longer. That's how she stood for longer than probably was necessary trying to figure what she was supposed to do with this woman with hair as white as snow._

" _Who is Chien Na Wei?" She muttered to herself._

Katie's wrists were tied behind her back, even the slightest twitch dug the ropes deeper into her skin. Her eyes were covered, but her ears were open. Another lesson she'd learned from the man who torments her dreams. The elimination of one sense should enhance the others. That's how Katie just knew that she was surrounded by four men. The one in front of her was breathing heavily, as if each breath was a chore.

"You should get your guy his inhaler before he passes out." Katie spoke only to hear a familiar chuckle in the air.

"I liked you. You had spunk" Chien spoke, her voice echoing off the walls. "It's hard to find a person with a good sense of humor." suddenly Chien's hand was wrapped around Katie's throat and the blindfold was pulled off of her face. "But sometimes you got to be smart and know when to just close your mouth." Chien dropped her forehead against Katie’s, her hand pressing even tighter to Katie's jugular. "I actually thought for sure I wouldn't find you. Would you honestly believe that this was the last place I expected to see you? You see I assumed you were smart, but I guess that was my first mistake." In one swift movement, Chien pushed Katie, causing her and the chair she was sitting in to slam to ground. The ropes on Katie's wrists dug even more and the stinging let her know that they'd penetrated her skin. Chien placed her high heeled boot right on Katie's neck and pressed just enough pressure to show that her life was totally in her hands at the moment. "You took something from me, and I want it back." just an incline of her toe and all air would just stop.

Once Oliver was changed into his gear, all remnants of Oliver Queen seemed gone. All except for one part. That one part he didn't quite understand. That light that seemed to fit comfortably in the darkness. It was her. Katie was the part of Oliver Queen that didn't get washed away when he put on this suit. Maybe that was why he was so afraid of losing her. If he lost her, he'd lose a part of himself. A part he was desperately trying to hold onto.

"I have something!" Felicity called and Oliver picked up his quiver and bow and headed over to her. "This was taken from a traffic cam on ninth and Chestnut." Oliver looked over the woman's shoulder to a grainy photo of Katie standing surrounded by men. It was the woman with white hair standing in front of her that made him grip the bow in his hand. "I got a look at the plate and that van was last seen..." Felicity was typing away when more information popped up. "It passed another traffic camera out on Industrial Boulevard." she typed a few keys to bring up a map of the area. "There is an old bottle factory, right here." she expanded the screen. "I think that's where she is." she turned to Oliver who looked over the screen for a few moments before standing up straight and starting for the back exit.

"So that's it?" Diggle spoke and Oliver stopped walking, but he didn't turn. "You don't know what you're walking into Oliver. There’s so many question marks surrounding this thing, it's not even funny. You're about to run in there, arrows blazing for what?" Oliver turned at that question, his jaw clenched. Without a word spoken, Oliver started moving toward the man, but Felicity quickly jumped to her feet to block him.

"Don't." she said holding up her hands toward the man. "Just go. Find her and bring her back." Oliver looked at the woman for a moment, before turning and stalking out the door quickly.

"Am I the bad guy here?" Diggle asked suddenly once Oliver was gone. "Because I feel like every time words come out of my mouth that make sense to me, everyone else just sees me as the bad guy." Felicity let out a deep sigh before turning to the man. "He's about to go risk his life for some woman who-"

"That's just it John!" Felicity snapped, cutting the man off which she rarely did. Felicity wasn't one for the serious talks, because nine times out of ten it would end with some sort of inappropriate comment on her part. Right now there was no other choice. "She's not just some woman. Not to him. I know we're stepping into to some very unknown territory when it comes to Katie, but he seems to think she's worth the risk and I trust him. I wouldn't be here if I didn't trust him and neither would you."

"I'm just afraid he's not thinking with his head on this one."

"He's not, and I don't think that's a bad thing." an array of beeps and buzzing came from Felicity's computers that pulled the woman into action. She quickly turned, dropping back into her seat and typing in a few keys.

"What's going on?" Diggle asked standing over her shoulder, looking down to the screen. He had no idea what was happening, but all he saw were numbers and letters popping up on the screen with each buzz and beep.

"Someone's hacking the city's central operating system." Felicity said her fingers moving at a speed too quick for Diggle's eyes to follow. "How-" she tried to track the hackers signal, but whoever it was had some very impressive evasive skills. "You're good, but I'm better." Diggle watched as the woman's eyes darted back and forth across the screen as her fingers rapidly typed on the keyboard before she suddenly just stopped.

"What happened?" Diggle asked looking between the woman and the screen. Felicity leaned in closer to the screen and Diggle did as well. "What are we looking at?"

"Something that doesn't make sense." Felicity said turning to the man. "Starling just got hacked by Wayne Enterprises."

Oliver stood on the roof of the building across from the warehouse Felicity told him he would find Katie. The building was surrounded by armed guards at different points of the building keeping watch for anything suspicious. There was no way he could get in undetected. His eyes scanned the building and that's when he spotted and open window that might be his ticket inside. Oliver held his bow in his hand, and brought it up to fire a zipline arrow. He pulled back the bowstring about to fire, but before he released the arrow he spotted something in the sky. His eyes followed a dark figure drop from the sky through a glass skylight. The moment he heard the crashing of glass, immediate gun fire followed.

"Son of a bitch." Oliver muttered before bringing his arrow back up and firing the zipline arrow that anchored itself to the wall of the building. He didn't even verify that the line was secure before he hooked his bow to the line and glided down the line kicking his leg up and barreling through the window. Oliver flew through the window, rolling as he landed. He didn't even take the minute to even acknowledge the pain as he jump to his feet and brought his bow up ready to fire. The building was completely dark and he had no idea what he was aiming at. He closed his eyes and let his other senses take over. He heard movement and turned his arrow about to shoot when suddenly flares began igniting around him. Soon he stood in the middle of a circle of flares, his arrow searching for a target.

"Who are you?" a gravelly voice spoke and Oliver stopped moving.

"Who are you?" Oliver asked his voice distorted by his modulator. He didn't get an answer to the his question, but the figure did step into the light of the flares allowing Oliver to see just who was standing in front of him. "You're-"

"I'd love to do this meet and greet, but I'm sort of busy. So why don't you go play dress up somewhere else." he rasped before lifting his eyes and raising his arm to shoot a grapple hook to the ceiling. Oliver watched as the man just shot up into the sky.

"Shit!" Oliver said before letting his eyes scan around the dark room trying to make out something, anything that can lead him to Katie.

" _Oliver someone reported shots being fired, and the police are on their way. You have to get out of there._ " Felicity's voice spoke through his ear piece snapping Oliver from his concentration.

"She's not here, you said-"

_"Oliver, it must have been some sort of trick or something, but we will figure it out. You need to get out of there."_

Oliver's eyes still scanned the dark building for something when he spotted something reflecting off the light of the flares. He walked over and leaned in a bit realizing that it was pile of clothes. One article stood out to him and he reached out and picked it up.

"She was here" Oliver said as he looked down to the Starling University hoodie in his hand. "He must've scared them off."

" _He_?" Felicity asked.

"I'll explain later, I need you to find that van Felicity." Oliver collected the rest of Katie's clothes before running back to the window. He shot out an arrow and zip lined back across to the other building.

Katie shook and whirled with every bump of the van as it sped where ever it was going. Her hands were still behind her back, practically numb at this point, as she laid with a blindfold over her eyes. She heard yelling around her and she was able to pick out Chien's voice in the commotion. It was strange, one moment she was being tortured and the next Chien is getting a warning of something strange in the sky and suddenly she's being rushed out of the factory. With everything she had, she tried to pull her wrists free from the ropes, hoping no one was watching her. Chien yelled something before the van came to a screeching halt, tossing Katie into the van's wall.

"You two go!" Chien ordered and Katie heard the sound of the van door opening and then slamming closed. After that she heard the sound of impending footsteps, before a hand wrapped around her neck and pulled her to her feet, slamming her back against the wall before snatching the blind fold from her eyes. Katie was met with the dark scowl of Chien, who now had a gash over her left eyebrow.

"Wow, you should really see a doctor about that." Katie rasped through a sore throat. Chien's hand around Katie's neck tightened.

"No more games, tell me where it is." Chien ordered angrily and Katie kept the woman's gaze as a smirk came to her lips.

"Sorry, Ms. White, you'll never get your hands on the key."

_When night fell, the door to Katie's room opened and she knew it was time for this test. She'd read the contents of the envelope backwards and forward and even though she understood what it was telling her she had to do, she still didn't understand why._

_Soon she was sitting in the passenger side of a car beside the strange nameless woman who'd brought her here. She sat silently, her eyes out the window a bit shocked at the sight of people. The thought of signalling one of them for help crossed her mind, but she'd learned that the people she'd been captured by weren't amateurs. She did look at the passing faces and the buildings. It looked to be some kind of small Chinese town which was strange in itself. It only reaffirmed the fact that there was a point where she's been moved from Bosnia and she didn't even know it._

" _Are you nervous?" the unnamed woman asked from beside her and Katie looked over to see the woman's eyes stayed on the road in front of her._

" _Is that part of the test?" Katie asked and the corner of the woman's mouth rose in a coy smirk. Katie turned back to look out the window. "I'm a doctor, not a thief."_

" _You're who you need to be to survive." the woman replied as she pulled over across from a dimlit building. Katie recognized it from the array of photos that were in the envelope, along with building plans, and detailed descriptions of people she may come in contact with. "Don't worry, you'll be fine." Katie turned back to the woman who didn't look to be leaving with her._

" _You're not coming with me?"_

" _This is not my test, it's yours." the woman replied looking over to Katie before glancing through the window to the building. "I'm just here to make sure you don't try to run away."_

" _I can't do this by myself." Katie said suddenly looking out the window as well. "I can't-"_

" _Then you're dead. This isn't your American democracy. This is what you have to do, if you refuse then it all ends here." Katie turned back to the woman seeing the seriousness in her eyes. "Look at it this way. You're going to have many steps to get you home, this is just one of them."_

" _Do I at least get a weapon?" Katie asked and the woman smiled before stepping out of the car. Katie sat for a moment unsure of what to do before she decided to get out as well and follow. The woman opened the trunk revealing three weapons. The first was a bow that looked barely used. Katie's eyes rest on it for a moment before looking to the next weapon which was a sword with a very intricate design down it's blade and handle. The last weapon was a black pistol  with two spare clips beside it._

" _You can only choose one." the woman said standing with her arms folded over her chest, “So choose wisely”." Katie eyes scanned over each weapon carefully analyzing the pros and cons of each. In the end, Katie thought only one would suit her and so she reached down and grabbed the gun and the extra clips before turning to the woman whose brow rose at the choice._

" _What?"_

" _Why the gun?"_

" _It's small and compact and I can carry it easily." Katie said as she looked down to the gun in her hand. A sudden thought crossed her mind that she didn't realize had also played on her features._

" _You'd be dead before you could get that gun aimed at me." she said with a smile as she slammed the trunk closed. "Also the gun is noisy, it's going to give away your location the moment you use it." Katie quickly stuffed the gun into her waistband before following behind the woman._

" _Where do I go when I get this thing?"_

" _If you make it out of that building alive, I'll find you." The woman said before stepping back into the car and speeding away leaving Katie alone. Katie's eyes looked down both sides of the street knowing there were probably more eyes on her at the moment than she realized. Running wasn't an option right now. The only option was completing this test and so she took the first step._

_She'd been thinking of an entry strategy knowing that just waltzing through the front door wasn't an option. According to the envelope, there was going to be a secret auction tonight and one of the items up for bid was a flash drive referred to as "The Key". What this key unlocked she didn't know, but at this point it didn't even matter. Her eyes scanned the building until she found what she was looking for. A fire escape, on the second level of the building was her only way of getting inside and so she headed down a dark alley beside the building. Katie stood there for a moment trying to figure out how she was going to reach the ladder of the fire escape, when she spotted a stack of wooden crates just a couple of feet away. Her eyes went from the latter to the crates. It would be close, but she thinks if she moves quick enough she could use the crates to give her enough height to reach the ladder. Before she could put her plan into motion, she ran into a hitch. And by hitch, she means a large man with an automatic weapon around his shoulder walking toward her._

" _Nǐ zài gànshénme!" he said. What are you doing? Katie quickly translated in her head. Her Chinese was very basic and incredibly rusty, but that was a familiar phrase her tormentor used often around her._

" _Uh-" Katie looked up to the ladder. "My cat, uh- it jumped up there and now I'm trying to call it down." the man looked totally confused by her words letting her know he didn't speak a lick of English. When he neared her, he roughly grabbed her arm and began pulling her with him. With a sharp intake of breath, Katie grabbed the man's arm before sliding her foot in front of his feet tripping him up. She grabbed the weapon, quickly pulling it from his arm before tossing it down the alley. When he gained his footing, he reached to grab her, but she jumped out of his grasp before sending a foot into his gut, and then swinging a kick into his face. The large man didn't go down right away and she could practically hear Lian's voice in her ear, telling her to keep going, and so she kicked him again and again, and with one last kick, his body slammed against the brick wall of the building. She heard something crack and assumed it was his skull and she felt her stomach twist and knot._

" _Keep going." she muttered to herself. Katie glanced down the alley making sure she didn't get any unwanted attention before she looked back over to the crates. She only took one deep breath before she ran toward the crates, pushing herself from them to the ladder. With her hands up, she grabbed the last bar of the ladder and pulled herself up. She reached the window in seconds, and the moment she stepped inside, she realized that getting out was probably going to be a whole lot tougher than getting in_.

Katie stared into the dark eyes of a very angry woman when there was a crash outside the van that shook it slightly. Chien turned toward the driver who seemed to be staring out the window searching for the source of the attacks.

"Go!" she ordered. The driver looked back to her nervously. "Now!" without another word the driver turned and stepped out of the van leaving Katie and Chien alone. The woman turned back to Katie, her hand tightening around her neck making it that much harder for Katie to breathe. "Now-" before the words could even pass through her lips, Katie jerked up her foot and slammed it into the woman's foot. "Ah!" the woman stepped back briefly and in that moment Katie kicked out a foot tossing the woman to wall of the other side of the van. Katie coughed as the air made it back to her lungs. Chien lifted her head and stood up straight about to attack when something crashed through the windshield and rolled between the women. Both looked down to the small ball when suddenly it sparked and smoke escaped from it. Soon it filled the van and Katie couldn't see anything through the thick smog. She heard the back doors of the van open, but she didn't see by who. Katie closed her eyes and turned away hoping to shield the smoke that was now burning her eyes. Hands soon grabbed her waist and pulled her and she put up as much a fight as she could with so many things working against her. With her hands tied behind her back and her eyes burning from the smoke, she doubt she was doing any real damage.

"Let me go!" she yelled trying to pull free.

"Suit yourself." a voice rasp, the hands around her suddenly released her, causing her to stumble back falling on her butt. Katie let out a pained grunt when she landed on her hands, the ropes seeming to tighten even more. With no more energy to spare, she fell back on the dirt road, her chest heaving in exhaustion. She heard the sound of screeching tires, so she turned her head and saw what looked like the van speeding away. Her eyes were slightly blurring from the smoke, so she couldn't see it clearly. Soon fingers snapped above her and she turned looking up to see nothing but a dark figure above her. "Are you hurt?" she blinked a couple of times hoping to clear her vision, but it didn't help at all. "Hey, are you hurt!"

"My wrists." Katie muttered, her voice barely audible, but he heard her. He reached down grabbing her arm and gently lifting her into the sitting position. Her head fell on his shoulder and at this point she didn't have the strength to resist the comfort. She felt the moment the ropes fell from her wrist, and hissed when she felt his fingers slide across the marks they'd left behind.

"Sorry." he whispered pulling her back slightly to look into her eyes. Katie blinked a couple of more times her vision clearing more and more until she froze when she finally saw the man who'd just saved her.

"You're dressed like a giant bat." Katie stated out loud hoping that saying it could actually make her believe it. It didn't. Her words seemed to cause a small smirk to come to his lips. "You're the Batman."

"I think that's what they're calling me now." he said as he brought his fingers to her chin and tilted her face to see if there was any more injuries. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No." she said bringing a hand to her sore throat, positive that it was bruised. Batman lifted her chin to see her neck as well, and let out a low growl.

"Can you stand?" he asked as he stood to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. Katie stared at his hand hesitantly for a moment before she finally reached out and took it letting him help her to her feet. The moment she was standing, she tore her hand from his, taking a couple of steps back. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"What are you doing here?" Katie asked bringing her arms around herself. Chien began searching her clothes for any sign of a tracking device when the attack happened, now leaving Katie standing wearing nothing but a black tank top and a pair of jeans.

"We should get out of her before-"

"Isn't Gotham missing it's flying freak?" she asked stepping away as he stepped forward. "Why are you here?"

"Saving your life apparently." his rough voice countered turning at the sound of sirens. "I don't know about you, but me and cops aren't exactly friends." he turned back to her before reaching inside his cape and pulling out some sort of small black remote looking device and pressed a button. Soon a black, bulky vehicle approached them and stopped. "We should go." Katie turned away from the car to man in the mask.

"I have a thing about people in masks." Katie said meeting his eyes unsure why they seemed familiar.

"And I have a thing about stubborn women." he said walking toward her. "I was nice, I asked, now I'm telling." He was now standing in front of her, very intimidating, and he knew it. "Get in the car."

"Say please." was her reply and his fists clenched at his side, which despite the immense pain she was feeling made her smile. The man let out a deep sigh as he shook his head pinching the bridge of his nose. The sirens were getting louder and he knew they didn't have the time to negotiate this and so he was going to be the bigger person.

"Fine. Please get in the car." he pressed a button and the doors on both sides of the vehicle lifted open. "Now." Katie smirked triumphantly before turning and heading for the car. Once inside she turned to him as he sped off.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked and he looked over to her for a second. She leaned in slightly closer to him, but he turned away quickly.

"There is a sweat shirt in the back." he said gruffly, ignoring her question. She stared at him for a moment before rolling eyes and turning her body to reach into the back seat. The moment she did, she didn't expect him to prick her neck and she definitely didn't expect the darkness that followed.

_Katie didn't know what she was doing, which she figured was definitely not a feeling she wanted to have when entering the lair of very dangerous Chinese assassins. She was surprised though, how Lian's words seemed to be helping her. His lessons on survival seemed to have been preparing her for this moment. She still didn't understand the connection between her captors, but she figured this may be a link. The lessons she'd learned was now going to have to prove that she was paying attention._

_The building reeked of what smelled like rotting meat, but Katie ignored the twisting in her stomach. It was a distraction, one she couldn't afford to have. She walked along a sky walk, the only light coming from the hanging lights from above. She dipped behind a wall when she spotted another armed man. Her breath slowed and she shut her eyes as she awaited for him to move past her._

" _Alright, let's begin the auction!" a female voice spoke echoing off the walls. Katie peeked from behind the wall to see a part of the skywalk that seemed to overlook the lower level. She kept her eyes darting back and forth as she moved towered the railing. When she did, she looked down to see about a dozen or so people standing, looking up to a woman whose white hair caught Katie's attention. "You all know why we're here." The woman stood between two men who were dressed in all black, even their faces were covered, beside their eyes. She looked to the one on her right who held a wooden box in his hand. With a slight nod, the man opened the box revealing something shiny and silver. "Let's start the bidding."_

" _The flash." Katie whispered to herself. Suddenly an arm wrapped around her neck and she was pulled tight against a solid male form. Katie reached up to try to pull the arm from her airway, but he was strong. She quickly remembered that she wasn't totally on her own, and so she reached into her waist band and pulled out her gun before aiming behind her where she figured the man's shoulder was, before pulling the trigger. That gun shot had done the one thing she was warned it would do. Drew attention. So at this point there was no more slow and steady, she had to move quickly and with purpose. The man's arm around her instantly released her and Katie took a step forward and began shooting out the lights above them, bringing the place into a partial darkness. Once she spotted the man with the box, she placed the gun back into her her waist band before grabbing the railing and tossing herself over the side into the chaos that erupted below. Her ankle twist the moment her feet collided with the concrete, but that was another distraction she chose to ignore. She practically ran with a limp in search of the man with the box, when she finally spotted him as he ran under one of the few hanging lights. Without a second thought, she stopped running, grabbed her gun and aimed for the man._

" _Focus." she whispered and in the following seconds her finger pulled the trigger and the man went down. There was no time to waste, so she ran through the darkness, through the people who at this point seemed to be running aimlessly. When she reached him, she saw him still breathing and still holding onto the box. Katie reached down to grab it, but the moment the wood touched her finger, she felt the wind behind her and she quickly dove to the ground before the attack could happen. She sat up from the ground and looked up to see the woman...China White standing in front of her, more masked men standing around her._

" _Who are you?" the woman asked her eyes turning from Katie to the man lying beside her. Katie followed her eyes to see the box at some point had opened and now the flash was just lying on the ground just a few inches away from Katie. "Don't-" before the order could pass through the woman's lips, Katie had grabbed the flash and jumped to her feet before bolting in some random direction. "Find her, get my key and then kill her!"_

Oliver stuck to the back routes around the old factory, hoping to find a clue as to where Katie might be. He heard the distant sounds of sirens, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop, not until he found her.

"Felicity, your search turn up anything yet?" Oliver asked as he sped down a road he feels like he's driven down a hundred times.

_"Oliver, that van is off the grid. No traffic cameras have picked it up anywhere."_

"They couldn't have just disappeared Felicity." Oliver snapped angrily.

_"Oliver, I'm sorry, I just-"_

"No." Oliver said the realization of his words hitting him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" he let out a shaky breath, that almost broke Felicity's heart. "I need-" for some reason he couldn't say the words out loud. It was as if he was afraid to finally admit feelings he knew had been there all along. If he said them, then they were real, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for it to be real yet.

 _"I know Oliver."_ Felicity replied, her fingers typing away. " _Look I'm not giving up yet, she has to-"_ there was a beep from one of Felicity's computers and the woman turned with wide eyes. " _You got to be kidding me._ "

"What is it?" Diggle asked walking to stand beside the woman. Felicity typed a couple of keys and suddenly an image appeared. Diggled leaned in closer as he and Felicity witnessed something neither of them could believe. " Is that-"

 _"What's going on?_ " Oliver asked.

"Oliver, I've found Katie." Felicity spoke clicking a single key to pause the video. There was something more in Felicity's voice that didn't portray the expected relief.

" _Where is she?"_

"She's home." Felicity said, a silent 'but' lingering in the air.

_"Felicity, what is it?"_

"She's not alone." Felicity replied as she leaned into the screen making sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. The woman’s eyes were glued to the image of Katie being carried into the house. "How do you feel about bats?" If it was at all possible, Oliver sped even faster down the dark road.

When Oliver appeared in front of Katie's house, he didn't worry about being seen, or drawing attention. He'd gone into full arrow mode, and every action was precise and calculated. He jumped off of his bike, and stalked toward the house, his bow gripped tightly in his hand. As he approached the door, he noticed it was slightly open. Without a second thought he retrieved an arrow from his quiver and kicked open the door as he readied to fire. Oliver kept his steps silent, as his eyes darted around the dark house. He walked in the silent darkness, before a voice stopped him in place.

"You again." came a familiar gravelly voice. Oliver had his bow up and his arrow ready to be fired as he searched around for the source of the voice.

"Where is Katie?!" Oliver's modulated voice growled angrily. "If you've hurt her-"

"That makes sense. Me bringing her all the way home just to hurt her. You're a smart guy, aren't you?" the voice replied from the darkness. Oliver spun slowly, and then stopped when he felt in his gut that he'd found where the voice was coming from. Knowing he'd been found, the dark figure emerged from the dark corner and came into a stream of moonlight. Neither could see the other's face, but they could see where each stood.

"What are you doing in my city?" Oliver asked bluntly his fingers itching to release that arrow.

"Your city?" replied the Batman, Oliver could practically imagine the cocky smirk that was on the man's face. "In the past couple of weeks, the sole resident of this home has been kidnapped, attacked, almost killed and that's just one person. So tell me..." he took a few steps forward. "Hood, how well are you protecting your city?"

"I do not have to prove anything to you. Now I'm only going to tell you once, and only once." Oliver countered taking a step forward as well and growled, "Get the hell out of my city."

"The woman who kidnapped Katie today is very dangerous and-"

"I can handle China White when she's in my city. If she makes it to Gotham, then you can have your chance at her, but until then I suggest you pack up and head back home." Batman's eyes narrowed for a moment before his eyes drifted to the arrow the man held.

"You know I doubt your arrows will be able to keep her safe." Batman's voice rasped.

"They get the job done. Care for a demonstration?" Oliver began pulling back the arrow, as a slight chuckle escaped the man's lips.

"No, I most certainly do not." Batman said before turning and heading toward the kitchen, but stopped before walking through the door. "She's sleeping, she might be out for a while."

"What did you do?" Oliver asked, accusations clear in his tone.

"Just a mild sedative. She'll be awake soon." and with that the man pushed through the door. Oliver took a couple of steps, pushing open the kitchen door only to find the kitchen empty and the back door opened. Oliver quickly walked over, and locked the door.

 _"That was interesting_." Felicity spoke through Oliver's ear piece. " _You think he's really going to leave?"_

"I don't know." Oliver said turning and pushing through the kitchen door. "Right now I don't care. See if you can find anything on Chien." Oliver quickly climbed the stairs and hurried down the hall, before pushing open her door to find Katie lying on her bed, her back to him. Oliver let out a deep, exhausted breath as he just stood there at her door and watched her. In that moment, he was content with just watching her. He didn't realize just how much the thought of losing her would affect him. Oliver dropped his arrow to the floor and reached up and pulled back his hood, and just like that the vigilante was gone. Oliver sat on side of her bed, and dropped his back against the headboard, his eyes closing as his exhaustion finally catches up to him. Katie rolled over, still asleep, but her hand somehow found his and Oliver's eyes snapped open and looked down to her.

_Katie ran down a hall aimlessly, the flash drive gripped tight in her hand. It wasn't until her path was blocked by two masked men did she finally stop. She turned about to run in the other direction, but two more men ran up, along with the white haired woman._

" _Give me that flash and I might let you live." the woman growled and Katie simply shook her head before stuffing the flash in her pocket._

" _I'm already dead honey." Katie replied as she rose her fists to fight. She slowly spun around, her eyes closed as she decided to let only the words of the man she cursed guide her. That's when she felt it. It was as if something was crawling under her skin. Katie knew what was happening. She remembers the stories Lian would tell her of the day she would finally let go of the person she used to be and just embrace the darkness that was the key to her survival._

" _Kill her and bring me that flash." Chien orders and without a second thought the four goons run toward Katie. Chien watched as the woman's eyes remained closed as the attackers ran toward her, and the woman even stood shocked as the woman seemed to punch, kick and spin at an impossible rate. Everything about this night had been unexpected and this day was no different. When the last of her men dropped to the ground unconscious, Chien stood still for a moment, trying to process what she'd just seen. When Katie opened her eyes, she looked down to the men that laid around her, and Chien could've sworn that she too looked shocked at the scene. Katie met the woman's eyes and stood up straight, before glancing around the hall._

" _Eastern sector of the factory." Katie muttered before turning to a large window to her right. Her face scrunched as she finally realized her exit strategy. She turned back to the woman whose eyes glanced from the men to the woman, before taking a step._

" _You do not want me as an enemy." Chien practically growled as she inched closer and closer to Katie. "Give me that flash or you're dead."_

" _Weren't you paying attention? I'm already dead." and with those final words, Katie tossed herself through the window sending shattered glass everywhere. Katie fell on grass that did nothing to soften the fall. She grimaced with every move she made. Her eyes went up to the window where she spotted Chien staring down to her with a dark look of anger. It was when the woman disappeared from the window, did Katie realize that she couldn't just lie there. With the little strength she had, she pulled herself to her feet and began hobbling as quickly as she could. She made it back to the road, and quickly sifted into the crowded streets. Her eyes darted around for her way out, but she didn't see it. She glanced over her shoulder, and in the distance were black clad assassins who were looking for her._

" _Where the fuck-" Katie was grabbed and pulled into a darkened alley. She was about to fight, but she caught a glimpse of the culprit realizing that it was her no named ally. "Where the fuck were you?!"_

" _Traffic was a bitch." the woman replied before turning and heading down the alley. "We should go." Katie stood there for a moment, looking out at the street where she saw the men after her just run past the alley and unknowingly past her. With a deep breath she turns and follows behind the woman, stepping into the passenger side of the car._

_Once they are driving, Katie digs into her pocket and pulls out the flash drive and hands it out to the woman._

" _What am I supposed to do with that?" she asks, not even bothering to look in Katie's direction._

" _I don't know, but you sent me in there to get it, so here." Katie held the flash out to the woman. "I did what I was supposed to do."_

" _Your test wasn't to retrieve the flash." the woman said and Katie's brow furrowed in confusion. "That was something that Ellis fellow wanted." she met Katie's eyes with a smile. "Your test was to make it out alive, which you did."_

" _You sound surprised."_

" _I am." she said with a shake of her head as she turned back to the road a head. "I guess now you can begin."_

" _Begin what?"_

" _I think I'll let him tell you."_

Oliver felt her hand grasp his tighter, and he reached down to push the hair from her face and then hit him, right then and there like a ton of bricks. Three words floated into his head in that moment that shocked him. He cursed himself for letting himself fall under the biggest distraction there was. Oliver turned and stared out into the empty space in front of him as those three words seemed to dance around him and he realized there was nothing he could do about it.

He loved her.

And now...now he finally admitted to himself.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**The Truth in the Heart**

"All my life, my heart has yearned for a thing I cannot name."

_-Andre Breton_

* * *

Love was not a word Oliver Queen tossed around often. When he said it, when he felt it, then he meant it, even under the most inconvenient circumstances. That's how he described his current situation. It seemed crossing names off the list was a grueling chore, one he accepted. Then there was the fact that his sister was somewhat out of control and dating a very shady character who stole her purse and was now working at the club. His mother was hiding something from him. Something he didn't know if he should worry about or not, but it was there and in the air. On top of all of that he had to go and fall in love with the most stubborn, hotheaded, and pain in the ass woman in the world.

Oliver stood in the kitchen, leaning on the counter deep in his thoughts with a mug of coffee in hand, when Katie rushed in, in nothing but a bathrobe, and a towel wrapped around her hair. Oliver turned away from her and cursed the fact that she just couldn't wear one of those big fluffy robes that hid things. No, she wore one of those thin robes, that clung to her body and made his heart skip a beat.

"I hate you!" she snapped walking over to him. "Look at this." she lifted her head so he could see that even after a week there was still some bruising on her neck. "It'll be healed by then Twinkie, no one will notice Twinkie." she said deepening her voice to mock him before she dropped her head and smacked his arm. "It's not healed and I can notice."

"Twinkie, it doesn't even look that bad."

"Yes it does. It looks like I'm  fifty shades super fan." she replied before turning with a growl and stalking toward the door. Before she left she turned and walked back over to him, taking the cup of coffee from his hand. "I need this more than you." and with that she went rushing out of the kitchen.

"Good morning to you too!" Oliver called after her. God, he loved that woman. And for the longest time he wondered what that feeling was. He wondered why when she smiled or laughed, it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He wondered why when she was sad, he wanted to be the one there for her, just him. Even when she was angry, or yelling at him, he wondered why a fluttering thought of kissing her passed through his mind. For the longest time he ignored the feelings, he pretended like they weren't there, and then he actually admitted them and now he couldn't hide from them any longer.

A normal person in his position should be happy. They should be on top of the world the moment they realize that they are in love with their best friend, but Oliver wasn't a normal person. Oliver Queen was a man who struggled immensely with having to live two separate lives and he didn't see any room to complicate things with love. Oliver heard something crash above him and sighed before pushing himself from the counter and moving to go up the stairs. Her door was slightly open and he could hear her ranting to herself, but he couldn't hear exactly what she was saying until he walked up to the door.

"No, this doesn't look right!" he heard her snap. He rose a hand to knock, but stopped as he began to wonder if he really wanted to enter the crazy land that was happening in there. He had no choice because soon the door swung open. "Are you going to stand here and stare at my door, or are you going to help me?" she turned without waiting for his answer and Oliver took that as his invitation to come in. Crazy land was definitely an understatement he thought as he walked inside to see clothes and shoes all over the place.

"What the hell happened in here?" Oliver asked turning to where Katie had entered her closet. "I didn't even know you owned this much stuff."

"Guess what I don't own?" Katie called from her closet.

"I don't know, what?" Katie stepped from her closet and sent a glare to him.

"No guess, out of all the crap that's in this room, what don't I have."

"Uh, a chimpanzee." Oliver joked with a bit of a smirk that seemed to widen at the sight of the annoyed expression on her face. She picked up a rolled up sock and tossed it at him before stalking back into her closet. "Don't you think you're being a little over dramatic? It's just a job interview?" Katie stalked back from the closet with a look of disbelief.

"When's the last time you had a job interview Liver?"

"Well, I-" Oliver turned away in thought. He already knew this was a conversation he wouldn't win, but he wasn't going out without a fight. A smile graced his face as he turned back to Katie. "Sophomore year of college, I had an interview-"

"Was this a real job or some class activity?" Katie asked and Oliver closed his mouth, because well she was right. "Look, fine, maybe I'm being a little neurotic-"

"A little?"

"I will throw something else at you." Katie warned before stalking back into her closet for something to wear. "You don't get it. You have it."

"Have what?" Oliver moved closer so he could see her now sitting in her practically empty closet on the floor, with her knees to her chest.

"A purpose." she met his eyes as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I mean my father had his business, my mother had her practice, you have your bow and I-" she shrugged. "I have a medical degree and haven't actually practiced medicine in years. There's a lot counting against me."

"Yeah well there's more counting for you." Oliver replied walking into her closet and sliding to sit beside her. Katie dropped her head to rest on his shoulder, letting out a deep sigh. "You're a good doctor and Starling General would be crazy not to hire you." he pulled his arm to wrap around her shoulder, letting her head fall to his chest. This was also hard for him. Being so close to her, but not as close as he wanted. She was scared, nervous, feeling insecure, and he wanted to do so much more to reassure her. He wanted to show her just an ounce of what he saw when he looked at her.

"Have you moved back into my house?" Katie asked randomly changing the subject. Oliver glanced down to see her eyes still closed as she made herself comfortable. "We should talk about that right?"

"You were abducted-"

"And then I was un-abducted thanks to a weirdo in a bat costume."

"Yeah, well that weirdo is dangerous and I think he may still be in the city. And if China White hasn't just gone into hiding, then I think it may be smart to stick around here." Katie lifted her head from his chest and looked up to meet his eyes. "You won't tell me the entire story and so I have to do what I think will help keep you safe." Katie turned away from him, her face was passive, but she was thinking about something. Suddenly she shook her head before standing to her feet and walking from the closet. Oliver stood as well and followed her out stopping just a few feet away from where she stood with her back to him. "I know how hard it is to let it out, but-"

" I wasn't in Bosnia." Katie said suddenly, a statement that as expected caught Oliver by surprise. She turned to him to see his questioning gaze knowing she was going to have to keep going. "I-" she cleared her throat as images she'd been trying to suppress flashed behind her eyes. She looked back to Oliver, focusing on his eyes and hoping they would just keep her in this moment. "I was taken from Bosnia and held somewhere in China."

"Why?" Oliver asked and Katie shook her head.

"I was being prepared for something." Katie said bringing her arms over her chest. "I don't know what, or even why but I was. I was trained, well if you can even call it that. It was sadistic and cruel, but I-" she shook her head as her time with Lian played in her head. "I did learn something, I-" Oliver's phone chose that moment to ring, and Oliver cursed under his breath. "Answer it."

"No, I'm not-"

"Oliver, I can't do this now anyway. Not before this interview. My head space can not take that kind of emotional roller coaster right now." she walked over to him and placed a hand on his chest, something he noticed she seem to do quite often. She placed her hand right over his heart feeling the thump of his heartbeat underneath her finger tips. Every time she did it, he had to restrain himself, because it was those moments where the temptation to kiss her was just that much greater. "I need to get ready or I'm going to be late." she headed back over to her closet. Oliver headed for the door about to leave, when he stopped.

"Wait, what don't you own?"

"A freaking turtle neck!" she called back and he shook his head with a smile before finally leaving.

Oliver let Katie dwell in her wardrobe issues while he tended to more pressing matters. He sat on the couch in the living room, his laptop sitting in front of him as he replayed the video over and over again. It was the night the Batman brought Katie home. He was right there on camera, but there was no good angle to get a good look at him. Felicity tried her best, but came up with nothing which angered her to no end. Oliver couldn't stop watching the video. It was strange to see another vigilante, especially someone he'd heard so much about. Even though the Batman was native to Gotham, his tales were told all over from Central City to Starling. And for the life of him, Oliver couldn't figure out what the hell he was doing in Starling. What he was sure of though was that somehow, someway Bruce Wayne was involved. When Felicity told him that someone from Wayne Enterprises hacked the city's central system, he'd been trying to find the connection.

"Alright!" Katie announced as she stepped into the living room. Oliver turned and smiled as he looked her over. She chose to where black pencil skirt the stopped just an inch of above her knees. She paired it with a black long sleeve blazer, and white blouse. To cover up the bruising on her neck, she tied a scarf very stylishly. "What do you think?"

"You look great." Oliver replied with a smile. Katie smiled back as she combed her fingers through the loose curls that hung over her shoulder. She walked over to the couch, peeking over to see what Oliver was looking at.

"You're still watching that video?" Katie glanced over to Oliver who simply shut the laptop closed. "You're kind of becoming obsessed with this, don't you think?"

"I don't know anything about this guy other than the fact that he likes to dress up like a giant bat."

"You also know that he saved me. You know that he's saved a bunch of people in Gotham." Katie shook her head before standing up straight. "Plus it probably doesn't even matter, he's probably long gone by now."

"Well until I know that for certain, I'm going to assume he's still here and I'm going to question the one person I know has some insight."

"I could've sworn we had this conversation already. You're not going all hood on Bruce."

"Someone from his company hacked the city's central system the same day Gotham's flying rat man showed up in my city. He knows something and-"

"I don't have time for this!" Katie interrupted before turning and stalking away. Oliver jumped to his feet and followed after her toward the door. When she stepped outside, she spotted the car, but no Diggle. "Where's your driver slash body guard?"

"I thought I would drive today." Oliver said from beside Katie. She glanced over to him with a look of disbelief. "What? He figured since you knew everything, that this was one place he didn't have to pretend that I needed him to protect me."

"No, because you can protect yourself." Katie joked turning back to the car as she slid her purse up her arm. "And me, and Starling, probably the entire world. You're like the super-hood." she laughed as she made her way to the car.

"Yeah, you're still not funny." Oliver replied grabbing his jacket and keys and heading out the door.

When they arrived at the hospital, Oliver insisted on waiting with Katie. Despite her protests, he seemed determined and so she decided to just let it be. They were directed to where they should sit, and so they sat and waited. Oliver's eyes instinctively darted around the area searching for any anomaly, or point of danger. He suddenly felt Katie's knee on his and he looked down to her leg bouncing nervously.

"Hey." he reached out and placed his hand on top her her hands that rested in her lap. "You're going to be great." she looked over to him with a slight smile.

"Dr. Robins." a voice spoke and Katie turned to see Christian standing just a few feet away. She jumped to her feet with a smile, as she held out a hand to him.

"Dr. James, I mean Chris." the man shook her hand with a smile, but Oliver seemed to notice the smile didn't seem genuine. Forced even. When he let go of her hand, Oliver stood to his feet as well.

"Mr. Queen," Christian said holding out a hand to him as well. Oliver shook it, still closely watching the man. "I didn't know you'd be joining Katie today."

"Yeah, well I just came to show my support." Oliver replied dropping his hand back to his side.

"Yeah, but he was just dropping me off. He has to go to get to that thing." Katie said giving him a look she hopes he gets means go away. Oliver smiled turning to her and just shook his head.

"Actually that thing got rescheduled, so I'll meet you out here." Oliver replied ignoring the glare Katie was sending him.

"Ok," Christian said a bit unsure about the conversation he was in before turning to Katie. "Shall we?"

"Yes, we shall." Katie said before turning to follow after the doctor. As she walked, she tossed one final dirty look back to Oliver, who simply gave her two thumbs up and mouthed the words, "Good Luck." she shook her head and before he knew it they turned down a hall and were out of sight. As Oliver sat down, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He snaked it out and quickly brought it to his ear.

"Hey, Digg, did you get in?"

_"Well the Plaza is like Fort Knox, so no I didn't get in. They take the privacy of their high rollers very seriously."_

"So you have nothing?"

_"I wouldn't say that. I overheard one of the maids mention a strange request that he not be disturbed for any reason. So we at least know he's still in town if that's a good thing?"_

"I'm not sure yet. Have Felicity check out the security footage from the hotel the night Katie was taken."

_"What are you trying to find there?"_

"I don't know, but there's something more happening here, I just know it."

_"Alright, where are you, headed to the foundry?"_

"Uh, no-" Oliver glanced around the hospital. "I'm at Starling General. I came with Katie to her interview."

_"Of course you did. You know at some point you're going to have to acknowledge the fact that your concern for Katie goes beyond that of friend."_

"This shouldn't take to long." Oliver replied choosing to ignore his friends words. "We'll meet you guys there."

Katie sat in the very nice office on one side of the desk as Christian sat reading over some documents in front of him. He hadn't said another word since they stepped inside, which Katie found odd. Ever since she met the man, he'd been a bit of flirt, and now something seemed different about him.

"Well..." Christian finally spoke looking up to meet Katie's eyes. "Like I've said before, your credentials are impeccable. Top of your class at Columbia, you have raving recommendations from your time with Doctor's Without Borders."

"Why do I get the feeling there's a _'but'_ in there somewhere?"

"When I brought your potential hire up with the board they were a little concerned."

"Concerned about what?"

"Well there's just been some recent events that have been brought to our attention, and it makes us nervous." Christian reached below his desk and pulled out a stack of newspapers and magazines. Katie leaned forward to get a look at them and her eyes widened. She flipped through each one, every last one about her. "It just seems taking you on may be a risk, one we really can't afford to have. Especially after that incident with the  Jane Doe that was brought in." Katie lifted her eyes to the man. "I'm not sure if you heard but someone screwed up big time. A Jane Doe from an active investigation was taken to a part of the hospital that shouldn't have even housed a patient. That patient was killed from a morphine overdose that no one can even explain. Right now we're in some very troubled waters, and the Board just doesn't know if you're right for the hospital right now." Katie swallowed the lump in her throat as she glanced back down to the pile of crap that had just ruined the one thing she really needed right now. "I'm sorry, I-" Katie stood to her feet, grabbing her bag.

"Thanks for the opportunity." she said quickly before rushing out of the office.

The moment she was gone, and his door slammed behind her, Christian dropped his head in his hands. He couldn't believe he just did that. He can't believe he compromised everything he believed, everything he thought was right just like that. There was a knock at his door, but he didn't lift his head.

"Go away!" he called hoping whoever was on the other side would leave him alone. His hopes were tarnished when he heard his door open. "I said-" his words were caught in his mouth the moment he saw the man walk inside, and close the door behind him. "Mr. Wayne, what are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure everything went as planned." Bruce replied taking the seat on the other side of Christian's desk.

"You mean me totally making up some lie about the board of directors not wanting me to hire a perfectly good doctor? One whose family is one of the reasons our doors are open today? Yes Mr. Wayne your plan worked, now if you'll excuse me-"

"Look, I'm sorry to have put you in such a position. I know you're a good man Chris and I wish I could explain all of this to you, but I can't. Just know that you helped her today."

"I'm just going to have to take your word on that Mr. Wayne." Christian stood to his feet and gestured to the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to think of a way to explain to the board how I let go of one of their top picks for the residency position."

"Doctor." Bruce said standing to his feet and walked out the door.

When Oliver spotted Katie walking down the hall he just knew something was wrong. He jumped to his feet when he realized she wasn't going to stop.

"That was quick." Oliver said as he moved quickly as well to keep up with her.

"Well it usually doesn't take long to tell a person they don't have the job." Katie replied as they stepped onto the elevator.

"Wait, what-" Oliver looked out down the hall just as he spotted Christian. He wanted to go out there and have a little chat with the doctor, but the doors were already sliding closed. He turned back to Katie who folded her arms over her chest and simply stared at the doors. "What happened?"

"Apparently I'm too much of a fuck up to actually be given a job here." Katie replied just as the doors opened. She stalked off without further explaining, which was a bit annoying and so he followed after her.

"Wait!" Oliver said jumping in front of her, and finally stopping her. "What happened?"

"I'm a risk. Did you know that a woman who gets shot at everyday, stabbed, being kidnapped makes her a flight risk?" she shook her head before walking around him.

"Will you stop walking."Oliver grabbed her arm once they stepped outside. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fucking perfect." she muttered walking around him toward the car.

When they arrived at the foundry, Katie stormed through the lair walking past John and Felicity toward the cot that was further away.

"What happened?" Felicity asked glancing from Katie to Oliver.

"The interview was today." Oliver said looking over to Katie as well. "She didn't get the job"

"Really, that's-" Felicity lowered her voice as well. "That's terrible. Why?"

"I'm guessing her after hour activities." Diggle replied walking over. Oliver sent him a glare before turning to Felicity.

"Did you get anything from the security cameras from the Plaza?" Felicity shook her head as she took her seat in front of her computers.

"Well I didn't spot a giant bat walking down the halls if that's what you're asking." Felicity replied as she typed away. "I have Bruce entering his room a half hour after Katie was taken and then he doesn't leave. I mean maybe he was hacking the system, but there are a lot of people who have access to Wayne Enterprises' mainframe." she turned to Oliver who looked at the screen. "The only connection we have between Bruce and the batman is that they're both from Gotham. Maybe it's just a coincidence that they're here at the same time."

"I don't believe in coincidences." Oliver replied glancing over to Katie whose back was toward them.

"Do you have eyes on Bruce?"

"He just walked back into the Plaza and is in his room now. Why?" Oliver didn't say anything as he looked over to his arrow. "Please don't tell me our hometown vigilante is going to pay him a visit."

"Oliver, I don't think that's a good idea." John added. "Look, you already don't like the guy. I just don't want you to do something you might regret."

"There's something going on with this guy." Oliver replied turning to John. "I can feel it."

_When Katie returned to her prison, she once again fell into the monotonous routine of waking, eating, sleeping. She didn't quite understand this part. She gave Ellis the flash, and then she never saw him again. She didn't see anyone. One day she sat by her window staring at a bird that was resting on a branch when her door was pushed open. Katie quickly stood to her feet and turned to the woman whose name she still had to learn._

" _It's time." the woman said to Katie's confusion._

" _Time for what?"_

" _Time for you to begin what it is you were brought here for." the woman tossed some folded clothes to Katie, but she didn't make the effort to catch them. They dropped to her feet. "Put those on and then meet me out here." the woman left and Katie wished she had a choice, but she knew she didn't. She moved at the whim of her captors, because if she didn't then she assumed very bad things would happen. Katie wasn't stupid. She could tell the people who surrounded her were very dangerous and so she would choose to follow until an opportunity rose for her to finally run. Katie bent down and picked up the clothes and began putting them on. It was some sort of uniform that looked similar to some of the others she had seen. It was dark, but loose fitting allowing her to move freely. When she changed, she stared at herself in the mirror and marveled at how much an outfit could change the way a person looked. Katie stood there and couldn't help but see one of them and that scared the hell out of her._

_When she stepped out into the hall, she only found the woman which was strange. Whenever she moved about this strange place, she was always surrounded by several men who wore strange, dated clothing._

" _No back up?" Katie asked glancing down both ends of the dim lit hall. The no named woman simply chuckled under her breath before turning and walking off. Katie took that as her invitation to follow. "Are you ever going to tell me who you are or where I am? I mean why am I even here?"_

" _None of those questions can be answered by me." the woman replied not even sparing Katie a glance. "There is an order here."_

" _This "him" you keep mentioning, am I ever going to meet him?"_

" _Where do you think we're going?" she asked with a slight smile. "It's time for you to meet the one who holds the key to all your questions."_

Katie's eyes opened as the remnants of the dream still played in her head. It was getting harder and harder to forget and at some point she was going to have to realize that forgetting was impossible.

"It's been weeks Felicity and we don't know more about her than the first day we met her." Katie heard John say, and guessed he was probably talking about her. "We're digging ourselves deeper here and we don't even know why,"

"Oliver seems to believe-"

"You know I would be more inclined to believe in Oliver if I didn't believe half of his decisions weren't being made with his upstairs brain." John said gaining a slap to the arm from Felicity. "This happens with him. He gets emotionally blinded by the people he cares about and it doesn't allow him to see things that are right in front of him. It’s why he can't even fathom the idea that his mother may be into something."

"How about we just say what this really is about John." Felicity replied turning to him. "You're upset he's choosing to focus more of his attention on this instead of locating Deadshot." Felicity stood from behind her computer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure once we find anything that can lead us to Deadshot, Oliver is going to have your back."

"I used to be sure about a lot of things when it came to Oliver, but now not so much." Diggle replied as he glanced down to his watch. "I have a meeting with an old contact of mine. If Oliver even asks, let him know that I have my phone if he needs me." Felicity simply nodded before watching as the man left.

Once Katie heard the door close, she finally sat up from the cot stretching a bit as she did. She glanced down to her clothes which at this point were a mess, and just shook her head.

"John Diggle isn't my biggest fan, huh?" Katie asked startling Felicity who turned to her quickly with a hand over her chest. "Sorry."

"He's just going through some things."

"With this Deadshot guy?"

"You heard that huh?" Katie simply nodded and Felicity let out a long sigh. "Deadshot is this gun to hire who killed John's brother. He's been trying to find him for years, and now he's getting close."

"And his friend Oliver is too wrapped up in Twinkie to help him." Katie said standing to her feet. "Tell John that won't be a problem for much longer."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean my reign of destruction shall soon be leaving Starling City." Katie replied before rummaging around her bag for her phone.

"I heard about the interview, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's my fault. I assumed that me, the woman whose luck is shit could have something as simple as a job I like." Katie pulled out her phone and glanced  down to see the time. "This is a sign I'm not ignoring."

"This isn't a sign that you should leave." Felicity spoke and Katie met the woman's gaze. "Fine it was a shitty interview, but there are more hospitals in the city, or the Glades. There are more options for you other than you running away. And you know for someone who claims to be beyond fear, that sounds like someone who's scared."

"No it sounds like someone who's tired!" Katie replied angrily dropping her things on he floor and taking a couple of steps forward only to stop herself. "My whole life was snatched up and put in a bottle and then shaken up for someone's sick amusement. I was beaten, stabbed, shot at, burned, emotionally tortured, and then I show up here and I think that it could all be over, that I can pretend that it never happened, but that's not possible." Katie turned her back to the woman and ran her fingers through her hair trying to calm herself. "I spent three years trapped in a box and now I'm out and it doesn't feel like I am." she turned back to Felicity.

"Why won't you let him help you?" Felicity asked walking over to the woman. "No one knows what you're going through more than him right now. Keeping this locked up inside of you is going to kill you." Katie turned back to Felicity about to speak, but Felicity wasn't finished. "You didn't die. I know you think that in all that time you died, but you didn't. You couldn't die because a part of you lives in him, just like a part of him lives in you." Katie didn't have a reply for that and that’s  mostly because she knows it's true. She doesn't say anything as she gathers her things and heads for the door. "Where-" the woman was gone before she could even finish the question.

Bruce emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist to a dark room. The strange thing was, he distinctively remembers the lights being on when he went into the bathroom.

"Bruce Wayne," a modulated voice said from the darkness and Bruce made no sudden movements. He looked over to the window where the light filtered in and could see the outline of the man who stood with a bow and arrow pointed at him.

"You're not about to tell me I failed my city are you, because those parking tickets-"

"I have questions and you are going to answer them." Oliver pulled that bow string just a tad bit more, ready to fire in case he got an answer he didn't like.

"You're the guy from the papers." Bruce said with a slight tilt of his head. "You know you're not what I imagined."

"Why did Wayne Enterprises illegally access Starling's central system?"

"That's a very strong accusation, do you have proof to back it up?"

"If I didn't have proof, you wouldn't be on that end of my arrow." the vigilante countered and Bruce simply nodded. "Tell me what you know." If Bruce Wayne was even the slightest intimidated or afraid, he didn't show it. Instead he walked over to the mini bar and poured himself a glass of scotch. The moment he lifted the glass, Oliver released an arrow causing the glass to shatter in the man's hand before retrieving another arrow from his quiver. At this point Oliver expected the man to be a little more forthcoming, instead he simply looked annoyed.

"That was a waste of some pretty expensive alcohol." Bruce replied looking up to yet another arrow.

"Start talking or the next arrow punctures your body." Bruce opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Do you mind if I-"

"Don't move." Oliver ordered and Bruce simply shrugged. They stood there and waited when more knocking came.

"I know you're in there Wayne, open up!" a familiar voice spoke that caused both men's ears to perk up.

"I really need to-"

"Do not move an inch." Oliver ordered glancing between the man and door. He too was interested in why Katie was here, but at the moment he didn't have the luxury of finding out. Not now, not when he was the vigilante.

The knocking stopped and both assumed she'd given up and left. "Answer the question."

"What question is that now?" Bruce asked to Oliver's annoyance. His hand was itching to release that arrow and it took some extreme restraint for him not to.

"This is not a game, answer the-" he should've known that she wouldn't give up that easy. Both men turned as the door to the room was pushed open and Katie walked in her eyes wide at the scene in front of her.

"How did you get it here?" Bruce asked as Katie stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her.

"I snagged a key from a maid." Katie replied her eyes on the man holding the arrow. Bruce inched slightly over toward her, to place himself between her and the man with the weapon. "What are you doing here?" Bruce noticed that question wasn't aimed at him and suddenly he realized that maybe Katie and Starling's vigilante were closer than he thought.

"You two know each other?" Bruce asked looking back to Katie who only glanced over to him for a second before turning to Oliver.

"We've ran into each other once or twice." Katie replied staring at Oliver who she could barely see in the dark room. "You shouldn't be here."

"Bruce Wayne tell me why Wayne Enterprises accessed the city's central main frame!" Oliver ordered more aggressively than before. He pulled the the bow string slightly to show just how serious he was. He didn't expect Katie to step forward and place herself in front of Bruce. He cursed to himself, before he quickly loosened his pull and dropped the bow to his side. Once he did, Katie stalked over to him, placing herself right in front of him.

"Are you crazy?" Oliver whispered angrily. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to-" it was luck that she saw it. It was dark and she could barely see anything, but she saw a red lazer dot in the window and in that moment nothing else mattered. Katie took a step forward, and with all the strength she had she reached forward and pushed Oliver from in front of  the window and before anyone knew what had happened, a gun shot rang through that room.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**A Hero’s Alliance**

_"Heroes are those who can somehow resist the power of the situation_

_and act out of noble motives, or behave in ways_

_that do not demean others when they easily can."_

_-Philip G. Zimbardo_

* * *

Oliver was being taunted by the incessant beeping of the monitor that was telling him that all hope wasn't lost. For the past couple of hours his eyes had been glued on the woman lying in the bed in front of him refusing to open her eyes and let him breathe again. His hand was clutched tightly around hers hoping that if she knew he was there, then she'd know that there was someone here waiting for her to open her eyes. Oliver let out a sigh that was filled with both exhaustion and fear as he rubbed his tired eyes. In that moment, the events that lead to this moment struck him and he couldn't stop it.

_Oliver heard the gunshot along with the shattering of glass, and he probably should've had a lot questions as to what was going on, but he didn't. In those few hectic moments there was only one thing on his mind...one person rather. Oliver didn't care if more bullets were coming as he jumped from the floor. He spotted Katie lying on her back, a hand pressed to her chest._

" _No." Oliver muttered quickly dropping to his knees beside her, a hand dropping on top of hers to put pressure on the wound. "Hey-" he placed a hand on her cheek and turned her eyes to his. "I need you to look at me."_

" _I'm...I'm sorry." she whispered._

" _Sorry for what, this isn't-" Oliver dropped his forehead to rest against hers as he tried to ignore the fear that was pulling on his insides. "This isn't your fault." he lifted his head at the sound of movement and saw Bruce standing with a phone to his ear._

" _I need doctor or EMT, someone's been shot." Bruce spoke as he looked down to Katie lying on the floor. "I don't give a shit, get someone to this room now!" he dropped the phone and grabbed a shirt and sweat pants from the bed and quickly put them on before rushing to her side. "Hey Robins, you're going to be ok." Katie's eyes drifted closed and Oliver shook her slightly._

" _Open your eyes!" Oliver yelled...no pleaded, but it was useless. "No, c'mon." Bruce placed his fingers on her neck._

" _She still has a pulse, she must have just passed out." he said looking over to the hooded man. "You should go." Three words cause an anger to course through Oliver's veins. "This place is about to crawling with cops and I doubt you want to be here when that happens." Oliver couldn't even imagine letting go of the hand that rested inside of his at the moment. With every passing second he felt her slipping away and he felt that if he kept her hand, if he could hold onto her then she couldn't slip away from him. "Go and then come back, less costume." Oliver suddenly remembered that he wasn't supposed to be Oliver in this moment. He wasn't supposed to be showing feelings only Oliver Queen had. He was the vigilante, and the vigilante left when he knew help was coming. Yet, he couldn't let her hand go. "I will take care of her."_

" _You better." Oliver said gruffly knowing that was a promise he was going to hold the man to. He heard the commotion outside the door and knew he didn't have the time to debate whether he would do this or not. There were no other options, and so as painful as it felt, Oliver let go of Katie's hand, stood to his feet, turned around and stalked out to the balcony before lifting his arrow and sending a zipline to the building across the street. He didn't look back. He knew if he did look back then secret identity be damned, he wouldn't leave her._

A knock at the door pulled Oliver from his head. He lifted his eyes to see his mother standing there with two paper cups in her hand.

"I thought you could use a little caffeine." Moira said walking around to hand one of the cups to Oliver. Oliver took the cup graciously with his free hand, not wanting to let go of her hand. Moira watched her son closely, and knew she probably was the only who noticed the clenching of his jaw when he looked over to Katie, or the nervousness in his eyes when there was an irregular beep in one of her monitors.

"You should get home, it's really late." Oliver said glancing down to his watch. "Or like really early I guess." he glanced over to his mother who simply walked over to him and brought her arms around in a hug.

"She's going to be alright." Moira said and she could feel her son release a deep breath.

"What if she's not? What if some son of bitch lying on a roof holding a gun took the one thing in this world I don't think I could-" he stopped because he realized he was saying the things that simply could not be said. He couldn't let himself feel these things that were tearing him up inside. Oliver looked over to Katie, a tube hanging from her mouth and he could honestly admit that he was scared. "I can't lose her mom." Moira placed a kiss to her son's head.

"You won't. That woman lying in that bed is a fighter. You just have to have faith that she will fight this." Moira walked over and placed a kiss to Katie's forehead before she walked toward the door. She stopped before leaving and looked over to her son. "Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks mom." Moira simply gave her son a smile before turning and leaving him alone once again to the taunting of a sound he needed to hear to keep him sane. He knew that as long as he heard the beeping, then she was still here.

Oliver didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep until a knock at the door woke him up from a dream he hadn't had in a very long time. It was that dream he had on the island, the one where he was with Katie and she was just laughing. This time though they were sitting in his bedroom on the floor and they were watching The Three Stooges. He remembers glancing over to her and thinking how much he loved that look on her face. That look of just pure happiness. When he turned back to the television they were no longer in his bedroom, but they were in the living room of their house. He didn't know how he knew, but he just knew that it was their house. She was still laughing and it was beautiful. It was a dream. A good dream, but a dream none the less. One he was slightly disappointed he had to wake up from. There was another knock at the door and Oliver lifted his head to see Dr. Christian James.

"Dr. James." Oliver said sitting up a little straighter in his seat. "I thought Dr. Michaels was her attending physician."

"He is, I just-" Christian looked over to Katie and sighed. "I wanted to see how she's doing. I can't help but feel that this is partly my fault."

"Did you shoot her?" Oliver asked and the doctor turned to him with wide eyes.

"What-no, of course not."

"Then it's not your fault." Oliver replied rubbing a thumb over her knuckles. "You know this doesn't prove you were right." he looked back over to the man who still stood at his place by the door. "She would've made a great doctor here. Nothing would've stopped her from doing the very best job she could do."

"I know that." Christian sighed with a shake of his head. "I wish-" he glanced back over to Oliver who seemed to be intently watching him. "I know she's a good doctor."

"I don't get it. If you think she's a good doctor, then why didn't you hire her?" That's a question that seemed to make the man look uneasy. "Is there something you're not saying?" Christian shook his head quickly knowing the man was getting too close to the truth.

"I should go-" he began backing out of the room, and Oliver jumped to his feet and followed after him. By the time he reached the hall, the doctor was already gone. What he did see was Detective Lance talking to Bruce further down the hall. Bruce's eyes met Oliver for a second, before Oliver turned and walked back into Katie's room.

Time seemed to move slowly in that room and it annoyed Oliver to no end. He sat with his body leant as close to her as he could, staring down to both of his hands wrapped around hers when a sudden thought hit him.

"Do you remember senior prom?" he asked, his voice seeming louder than it normally did in such a quiet room. "You said you weren't going because you didn't have a date and I convinced you that you didn't need a date to have fun." he laughed to himself as he remembered hounding her about that stupid prom. He never mentioned how much he just wanted to see her all dressed up. "I made sure I stayed close to the door because I wanted to make sure I saw that moment you walked through the door and then you did and-" Oliver swallowed the seemingly permanent lump in his throat before placing a kiss on her hand. He remembered that moment and he doesn't think he could ever forget. She walked in dressed in a long black dress that fit her perfectly. Her hair was down in curls over her shoulders. "You showed up with that guy, that intern from your dad's company who didn't seem to know what personal space was." Oliver distinctively remembers the twisting in his gut as he watched the man with his hands all over her as they danced. "And I didn't tell you this, I really wish I did, but I thought you were the most beautiful girl there." he looked up to her closed eyes wanting nothing more than for her to open them. "I wanted to ask you to be my date that night, but because I was an idiot I-" his phone vibrated in his pocket and he sighed releasing her hand before snaking it out of his pocket. Just then Katie's nurse stepped into her room.

"Sorry Mr. Queen, no cell phones in the hospital." She said and Oliver glanced down to his phone to see Felicity's number. "You can take it outside if you want." the room began filling with other nurses. "We're taking her down for a chest x ray." Oliver felt his heart race at the thought of being separated from her again. The moment he left the hotel room he thought he was going to die and then when he arrived at the hospital he found that she was already in surgery. He stayed in that waiting room for hours going out of his mind with worry. "Don't worry, it only takes about an hour. I will call you when she's back."

"Thanks."Oliver replied as he followed them out into the hall. He stood there for a moment, watching them rolling her away until they stepped onto the elevator and she was gone. Oliver shook off the fears that he wouldn't see her again, before turning and heading down the other hall. When he stepped outside he quickly redialed Felicity's number.

 _"Is she alright?"_ Felicity asked bypassing all greetings. _"You didn't answer and I thought maybe-"_

"Everything's alright, she's still unconscious." Oliver replied running his hand across his eyes. "But they got the bullet out, she lost a lot of blood and uh-" he closed his eyes as the words that had been playing in his head since the doctor told him. "She’s in a mild coma. I didn't even know there were different levels to a coma, but I guess mild isn't bad. He said that at any minute she could just wake up." Oliver shook his head because at the moment he didn't want to think about chance of her not waking up. "Did you get anything on our shooter?"

_"No, whoever it was, they were clean. The police haven't found any prints on any of the surrounding buildings. It's like that bullet came from nowhere."_

"That's just great."

_"Oliver, I'm sorry."_

"It's not your fault." Oliver replied turning and seeing a familiar face. "If you find out anything, give me a call."

_"I will, and keep me up to date on what's happening with Katie."_

"I will. Thanks Felicity." Oliver ended the call and slid it into his pocket just as Laurel appeared in front of him. "Laurel hey, what are you doing here?"

"I talked to my dad and he told me what happened. How are you doing?" Laurel asked and he doesn't know why but he kind of felt annoyed that she would ask that first.

"I'm fine, I'm not the one in the coma."

"That's not what I-" Laurel shook her head. "I heard what happened and I knew you would probably be a wreck." she turned away at that, and Oliver noticed the slight look of confusion on her face. She turned back to him with a smile. "Have you eaten?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Well then just sit with me." Laurel said grabbing his arm and pulling him back inside the hospital.

Oliver sat in the hospital's cafeteria staring down to a barely eaten turkey sandwich. His eyes looked over to the clock that hung on the wall. He still had thirty minutes before Katie should be returning to her room.

"Did they tell you what happened?" Laurel asked snapping Oliver from his thoughts. He turned to her and just shook his head. "She and Bruce were in his room when someone shot inside." Oliver turned away slightly. She didn't mention the hood and he wondered if maybe Bruce chose to omit that from his statement. "I didn't know that her and Bruce were close?" Oliver looked back down to his sandwich. It was a question he'd asked himself. What was she doing there? "So are her and Bruce-"

"How's Tommy?" Oliver asked hoping that his blatant change of the subject would let her know how much he doesn't want to talk about Bruce and Katie.

"He's alright. He still hasn't told me much about why he quit. You want to tell me what happened between you two?"

"I didn't trust him as much as I should have." Oliver replied looking down to his sandwich. "I didn't trust him as much as he trusted me."

"Oliver-" Laurel's phone rang and she sighed as she pulled it from her purse. "It's work. Let me just-" Laurel brought the phone to her ear. "Laurel Lance." she listened for a while, her face scrunching in horror. "Where's Taylor?" she began gathering her things. "No it's fine, I'm on my way." she turned to Oliver as she began standing to her feet.

"Everything alright?" Oliver asked and Laurel shook her head.

"I was representing this family against Edward Ramus, now they're dead."

"Laurel I'm sorry, what happened?"

"They were murdered. Their son survived and now I'm going to go make sure he's ok." Oliver stood to his feet as well and walked with her toward the door.

"Of course, let me know if there's anything I can do." Oliver said and Laurel gave him a small smile before rushing out the door.

Oliver looked over to the clock that hung on the wall and thought he should be heading back to Katie's room. When he walked through the door, he noticed Katie was still gone, but the room wasn't empty. There sitting in his chair was Bruce Wayne with a bouquet of tulips in his hand.

"I thought you'd be coming back soon." Bruce said standing to his feet. "The nurse said she should be returning from the scan in a couple of minutes." Oliver didn't say anything as he stood at the door, thinking more distance from the man would be better. "Look Oliver-"

"What was she doing in your room?" Oliver asked suddenly taking a slight step forward. "Did you call her?"

"No, but-"

"Does she usually show up in your hotel room in the middle of the night?"

"No, but if you would let me-"

"What are you doing here Bruce?" Oliver asked, taking another step. Each step he knew was dangerous, because with each step the temptation to hit the man was that much greater. "You came, you talked to her, so what are you still doing here?"

"I care about her." Bruce replied simply. "My family died and her family became my family and now all I have is her." Bruce sat down the flowers before closing the distance between him and the man. "Until I know she's alright, until I know she's safe, you should expect to see a lot more of me." and with that the man walked around Oliver out of the room.

Oliver walked over and stood by the window of Katie's room. It had a pretty nice view of the city. He shook his head. Why would a woman in a coma need a nice view? He was sure it was probably the best room in the place. When he heard the door open, he turned to see the nurses pulling Katie back into the room.

"So how did it go?" Oliver asked and Katie's main nurse walked over to him as the others got her situated.

"The xray came back clean. The bullet didn't hit anything vital, so I'm pretty sure she's going to be alright. The doctor actually wants us to take the breathing tube out because he believes she should be fine breathing on her own." Oliver nodded with a smile as he glanced over to Katie who looked exactly the same when she left.

"Why won't she wake up?"

"She lost a lot of blood and we've given her more, but these things can take time." the nurse placed a hand on his arm. "Keep talking to her. Let her know that you're here and give her a reason to wake up." Oliver gave the woman another nod before she turned and left  the room with the rest of the nurses. He grabbed his chair and pulled it back to the spot beside her bed, instantly taking her hand in his.

"You know if I were you, I probably wouldn't want to wake up either. Hell I'm me and I wouldn't wake up. We live some very interesting lives Twinkie." he placed a kiss to her hand and left his lips there a while before lifting his head to look up to her face. "My life became a little bit more bearable to live the moment I saw you on my lawn stepping on my friend's foot. Since I came back from the island, I could feel that there was something missing. And then I saw you and I realized what it was. It was you. That part of me that only exists because of you." Oliver stood to his feet and leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to Katie's forehead. He hovered in that spot for a moment before dropping his head slightly and bringing his lips to hers. "I love you Katie and I don't think I can live in a world where you're not in it." Oliver dropped back down in his seat, keeping Katie's hand in his as he continued to wait. It would seem that in this moment there was nothing left for him to do, but just wait.

_Katie kept her eyes forward and her ears open. This place she'd been taken to was usually filled with people, guards, and now there was no one around but her and the woman she was following. It was this moment did she acknowledge the nervousness that was twisting around her insides. This entire time she'd been waiting for a next move, waiting for answers and now that it was happening, she wasn't sure she wanted it to._

_They arrived at a pair of double doors, and Katie's eyes drifted to the amount of detail in the design of the doors. It looked hand crafted. The woman pushed open the doors and walked inside, Katie made sure to stay behind her. They walked into a room, a very large room that looked fit for a king. That was the first thought Katie had as she let her eyes roam over the room, and how much it looked like something from a castle. There were candles all over the place that gave the room a very eery look. She looked over to the woman who was bent down on her knee bowing. Katie's brow furrowed as she turned, finally noticing the man standing in front wearing the long, dark robe that held gold embellishments. His back was to them, his hands clamped behind his back letting Katie see the gold rings that lined his fingers._

" _Usually people bow in my presence." he spoke and Katie lifted her head to him._

" _I don't even know who you are." Katie replied looking around, now spotting two guards at the door. "I don't usually bow to strangers." a deep, dry chuckle escaped the man's throat as he finally turned around and Katie couldn't help but stare for a moment. He didn't look too much older than her father, but his eyes did hold a darkness she's never seen before. "Who are you?"_

" _My daughter told me you believe yourself to be in hell." the man said taking steps toward her. "Which I thought was fitting." he laughed again, and it seemed to cause a chill to run down her spine. He stepped right in front her, probably closer than people usually stood. His eyes stared down into her as if looking for something, and then a smile graced his lips as if he'd found it._

" _Who are you?" Katie asked once again._

" _Hell is filled with demons." he replied bringing his fingers to her chin. She wanted to pull away, but the man in front of her scared her to death. "At some point you were bound the meet the demon head."_

" _And that's you?" he smiled widely this time, dropping his hands back behind him._

" _I am Ra's Al Ghul." he declared proudly, leaning his face in just a bit closer to hers. "And now you will bow to me."_

Katie heard the sound of beeping before she even opened her eyes. It was a familiar sound, one she wasn't too thrilled in hearing. When her eyes opened, the room wasn't too bright but it still seemed a bit much for her eyes. She blinked a couple of times until it didn't hurt to keep them open. Her throat was dry and she could really use some water. She turned her head hoping someone was around to help her. That's when she saw him. Oliver was sitting beside her bed, his hand wrapped tightly around hers, sleeping in a chair that looked extremely uncomfortable. Suddenly she remembered being in Bruce's room, standing in front of Oliver when she saw that red dot appear behind him.

Oliver felt someone watching him and opened his eyes to see brown eyes that he'd been dying to see, staring right back at him.

"Am I dreaming?"

"If you are , this is one fucked up dream." she replied roughly. Oliver quickly grabbed the cup of water near her bed and brought the straw to her lips. Once she was done, Oliver sat the cup down turning back to her. She looked up to him to see a look in his eyes that she didn't recognize. "Was I shot?"

"Yeah, you-" he smiled as he looked down to their conjoined hands before looking back to her eyes. "You saved my life."

"Yeah, well I didn't think Starling could survive without it's hooded freak." Katie replied with a small smile. She felt sore all over, grimacing as she sat up a bit. "So what's the damage?"

"The bullet went through and through. You lost a lot of blood and you had to have surgery for them to figure out how to stop it. You were in a mild coma for a while." his grip on her hand tightened slightly.

"But now I'm awake."

"Yeah." Oliver said with a smile. "Now you're awake." he looked over to the door. "I should get the doctor." he glanced back down to her with a smile before leaning in and placing a kiss to her forehead.

Oliver stood in the hall while the doctor checked over Katie. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket before he snaked it out and brought it to his ear.

"Felicity, now's-"

 _"Hey, it's Tommy."_ Oliver was surprised to hear from the man, especially after not hearing from him since he quit. _"How's she doing?"_

"Great, she’s awake and she seems fine." Oliver replied glancing through her door to see her awake and talking with the doctor. "I’m glad you called."

_"Well I sort of had a favor."_

"Anything."

_"Laurel's representing this family-"_

"The family that was killed?" Oliver asked remembering he was supposed to have Felicity look into it. "I think she mentioned it when she stopped by earlier."

_"Laurel came to the hospital?"_

"Yeah, she was just stopping by to check in you know."Oliver replied and Tommy didn't say anything. "Tommy-"

_"There's a kid, Taylor, that may be in danger and I was thinking there's no safer place than the Queen mansion. Would you mind-"_

"Of course not. I'll call my mother and let her know you guys are coming."

 _"Alright, thanks Oliver."_ and with that Tommy ended the call.

Oliver glanced down to his phone hoping that this may be step forward for them. He heard the door to Katie's room open and he saw her doctor walking out.

"Hey, how is she?"

"I think she's lucky. An inch in any other direction and she'd be dead right now." The doctor said and Oliver turned away because he knew those words were true. "She's going to recover, and she's going to be fine." the doctor gave Oliver a pat on the shoulder before walking off down the hall. Oliver took a deep breath, hoping the anxiety from this day didn't show on his face. He walked into her room with a smile.

"So you're going to be alright." Oliver announced as he walked into the room. Katie looked over to him, now sitting up on her bed with her arms over her chest.

"As alright as anyone can be after getting shot." Katie countered and Oliver simply nodded before taking the seat beside her bed. "You know my nurse says you haven't left that seat since I was brought in."

"Well I didn't want you to wake up alone." Oliver replied his eyes looking up to hers. It was with their eyes did they say the things they couldn't with their mouths.

"You should get home." Katie spoke and Oliver looked at her like she was crazy. "C'mon don't look at me like that. You have to be exhausted and I doubt you got any kind of sleep in that chair."

"I'm fine, and the chair was fine."

"So you're saying there is nowhere else you need to be right now?" Katie asked and Oliver turned away, his hand running across the back of his head. "Liver?" he hated that damn nickname and yet he couldn't help the smile that came to his face when she said it.

"Laurel may have stumbled into something that she may need help with." Oliver replied turning back to Katie who nodded, but turned away from him. "I don't have to go. I can stay here with you."

"But it's Laurel." Katie said knowing that justification alone was enough for him. She turned back to him with a smile. "Your Laurel. If she needs your help, then you should give it to her."

"I don't want to leave you here by your-" there was a knock at the door and they turned to see Bruce Wayne once again, this time holding in one hand a bouquet of balloons and in the other, a ridiculously large teddy bear. "Of course."

"Well there you go." Katie said turning back to Oliver and taking his hand in hers. "Go do what you have to do." Oliver hesitated for a moment before nodding and standing to his feet. He placed a chaste kiss to her cheek before whispering in her ear.

"Call me if you need me for anything." Katie nodded before watching Oliver walk around her bed toward the door. She noticed the sharp looks that passed between the two men before Oliver finally left and Bruce walked inside.

"Sleeping beauty is finally awake." Bruce said as he sat the balloons and the bear down before taking up the seat beside the bed. "You scared me Robins. Don't do that again."

"I will try my best Mr. Wayne." Katie said turning away from him to look at her hands in her lap.

"What's wrong?"

"This entire time, I successfully blocked out the one person I think I'm truly afraid of." Katie said and Bruce watched her closely. Fear was not an emotion Katie chose to acknowledge openly and if she was now then she must truly be afraid. She looked back over to Bruce. He reached over and took her hand in his. "I left and he-"

"Hasn't come for you which means he probably won't." Bruce interrupted. He didn't say that he was positive of that.

"Probably." Katie sighed closing her eyes as she leant back on her bed.

"Why did you come to my room Robins?" Bruce asked, but Katie didn't say anything. "Katie-"

"I was having a lousy day and I was starting to realize that you were right." she kept her eyes closed as if not seeing his eyes made saying this easier. "Maybe I was pretending that there was something here, something that I needed-" Katie opened her eyes and turned back to the man. "I came to accept your offer and come with you to Gotham."

"But?"

"But someone tried to kill my friend and I realized that if that happened then I wouldn't be able to live with myself. If someone used him or anyone else that I care about just to get to me, then I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Katie turned away from the man and looked out into the nothingness in front of her. "Leaving would be me admitting that I can't handle this, that I can't take this and I don't believe that." she looked back over to Bruce with a smile. "I can't go through what I went through and be afraid of-"

"Someone trying to kill you?" Bruce asked leaning forward slightly. "You think your three years were hard, but people weren't shooting at you, people weren't stabbing you."

"No they did much worse." Katie replied seriously. "Bruce I know you're worried-"

"I'm more than worried, I'm scared to death!" Bruce snapped standing from his seat and sliding on the bed beside her. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "My family consists of Alfred and you and if someone wasn't such a lousy shot then you'd be gone. I want you to think about this, like really think about what you're signing up for. I doubt some guy in a hood is going to be able to help you."

"You underestimate that guy in a hood." Katie muttered turning away from the man.

"You're one stubborn woman you know that."

"I do know that, thank you very much." Bruce stood to his feet before leaning forward and placing a kiss to her cheek. "You shouldn't worry so much."

"I know, but I do." Bruce grabbed his jacket. "I am going to grab some food. Any requests?"

"I'm down for anything" Katie said with a shrug. Bruce simply nodded before leaving her room.

That night just as expected a hitman came in search of Taylor. With Laurel, Tommy and Taylor safely locked away in one of the bedrooms, Oliver went in search of the man. He was walking down the hall when he heard footsteps behind the doors up ahead. Oliver used the element of surprise, and burst through the door tackling the man, knocking his gun from his hand. The man threw a punch, that Oliver dodged easily. Punch after punch came Oliver's way, but he was quick and met every punch with his own. Oliver threw a punch, that the man caught.

"What happened to you on that island?" the hitman asked and Oliver's eyes darkened before he grabbed the man with his free hand.

"You're about to find out!" and without hesitation Oliver tossed both of them from the balcony causing them to crash into the table below. There was no hesitation as the man wrapped an arm around Oliver's neck. Oliver pulled as hard as he could sending himself flying to the spot right in front of the fireplace. He lifted his head and spotted the fire poker and without a second thought he grabbed it, and turned swinging and knocking the gun from the man's hand. With another swing into the man's leg, the hitman dropped to his knees before Oliver shoved the poker into the man's chest. When Oliver saw the life leave the man's eyes he pushed the man back letting him fall to the floor. For a moment he just sat there trying to catch his breath.

"I can't help but want an answer to that question." a familiar gravelly voice spoke and Oliver jumped to his feet, grabbing another poker and holding it at the ready. "I'm not here to fight."

"Why are you here?" Oliver asked slowly turning trying to place where the voice was coming from.

"Because I think it's time we finally met." Oliver stopped when he saw the figure step from the darkness of the living room, and he gripped the poker tighter in his hand. "I guess I shouldn't say meet, I mean we've met a couple of times already, you're just without your hood this time." Oliver's eyes darkened after those words.

"What do you want?"

"What you want. To catch the bad guys that seem to evade our regular justice system. There's one in particular that I'm interested in finding, I just don't know who he is. What I do know is that he wants someone very close to us dead." It didn't take Oliver long to realize who the man was referring to. "I figure you know this city better than anyone and us working together could get things done a little faster."

"Why should I trust you? I mean you know my secret, you hold all the cards, so why should I trust you?" the Batman turned and Oliver watched as he seemed to be thinking and suddenly he reached for the cowl on his head and pulled it up, and Oliver couldn't believe it.

"Bruce?"

"Now all the cards are on the table." Bruce said when the sound of sirens made it to their ears. "I guess this time it's my turn to disappear into the night." He slipped the cowl back onto his head and looked over to Oliver. "I'll be in touch." and with those words Bruce turned and disappeared into the darkness.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**CLOSER TO HOME**

_"The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do,_

_and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home,_

_and love, and understanding companionship."_

_-Amelia Earhart_

* * *

Today was the day Oliver was waiting for. He was pretty sure Katie was more anxious than him, but probably not by much. Two weeks she'd been forced to lie in a hospital bed until the doctors felt comfortable with releasing her. She absolutely hated it, he wasn't too thrilled about it, but he liked knowing where she was, so that's a plus.

Oliver rode the elevator with a smile on his face. He doesn't know how he could even find a smile with his life. Diggle left. He felt that Oliver didn't have his back when he needed him and maybe he was right. Diggle's contact, an old flame named Lyla had insight from the people she worked with. A government agency that Oliver wished he wasn't familiar with, ARGUS. ARGUS knew where Deadshot was going to be, and Diggle really wanted Oliver's help on this one. Oliver's head was in a million different places at once with Katie, and Laurel and this whole Bruce Wayne being Batman thing. Finding Deadshot wasn't a priority, maybe it should've been, but it was too late to do anything about it now. He just hoped with time Diggle can learn to forgive him, just like he hopes will happen with Tommy.

When the elevator doors opened, Oliver couldn't help but quicken his step as he carried the duffel bag of her clothes from his shoulder. His eyes looked down to the rabbit in his hand and he shook his head. He'd stopped by the gift shop before coming up, when he spotted the stuffed animal and couldn't help but think she'd like it. The smile fell from Oliver's lips the moment he reached Katie's door and saw her lying in bed laughing. It was the fact that the source of her laughter was Bruce Wayne which made him uneasy.

"Hey!" Katie said with a bright smile. "I was was actually worried this time you weren't going to show up and I was going to see our good friend Ms. Smoak today."

"Yeah, well this is a big day and I wanted to be here." Oliver said coming into the room and sitting her things down at the end of the bed. He glanced over to Bruce with a very slight smile. "Mr. Wayne."

"You know I think we've known each other long enough. Call me Bruce." the man said standing to his feet. "I was just telling Robins of our impending venture." Oliver's eyes darkened for a second before he turned away. Since that night Bruce revealed himself as the Batman, the two men had barely even spoken about it. They only seen each other in passing when they would come to visit Katie.

"Yeah, he says he's thinking about some joint ventures between WE and QC." Katie replied noticed the look on Oliver's face. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Oliver replied with a smile. "So when do you leave?"

"Are those my clothes?" she asked pointing the bag and Oliver simply nodded. "Well then now." she pulled the covers from over her, and Oliver grabbed her arm to help her to stand. "I can stand on my own."

"I'm sure you can, but this is to help me feel useful" Oliver replied as Katie stood to her feet. She sent him a smile that took the breath right out of his lungs, before she walked around him grabbing her bag and heading inside the bathroom.

"Cute rabbit." Bruce said noticing the rabbit on the bed. Oliver grabbed the stuffed animal, knowing the man was trying to be funny. "So we should talk. Where's your base of operations?"

"Hey, I haven't agreed to anything yet." Oliver said glancing over to the bathroom door, before turning back to the man. "I still don't know what your deal is"

"What more do you need to know? I have a thing about bad guys winning so I do something about it."

"But why?" Oliver asked. That was the one thing Oliver really wanted to know after the man removed his mask. He thinks if he could understand the man's motives, then maybe he could consider some sort of alliance.

"A long time ago a little boy went to the theater with his parents and upon leaving, a mugger comes up to them, demands their money and their jewelry, and even after receiving them he kills that boy's parents right there in front of him. Then he's put on trial, and later he's let go. That's why I do this. Why I have to do this, because I believe in a world where justice can win over everything else." Oliver watched the man for a moment trying to determine his genuineness, and he sees something in Bruce's eyes. Something familiar. Something he usually sees when he looks in a mirror. The door to the bathroom swings open and out walks Katie who is newly dressed in a pair of dark jeans and tshirt.

"You guys have no idea how much I want out of this place." Katie muttered as she grabbed her jacket and pulled it on. She looked between the two men, unable to not notice the tension filled room she'd just walked into. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah." Oliver spoke first glancing over to Bruce who nodded in agreement. "Bruce and I were just getting to know each other."

"Did you guys want to finish, because I can leave if-"

"Wow, Robins, you're definitely not as funny as you think you are."

"I tell her that all the time, but it doesn't seem to be sinking in." Oliver replied grabbing her bag and tossing it over his arm. He brought an arm around her back as they walked from the room.

When they finally arrived at the house, Katie stormed inside angrily and Oliver followed her trying to hold on to the little patience he still had. When they got into the car, Katie asked to be taken to the foundry to help pin point who was hiring these hit men to come after her, and Oliver as expected denied the request.

"Do I not have the right to try to figure out who is trying to kill me?" Katie asked angrily spinning around to face Oliver.

"Of course you do, but there's no telling where this will lead, and until I know what we're dealing with, I'm not letting you anywhere near this."

"You're not going to let me, huh?" Katie simply shrugged before turning and running up the stairs. "Lock the door behind you!" Oliver only took one step before he heard her slam her bedroom door. Oliver took a deep breath just as his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, and quickly answered.

"Felicity, what you got?"

" _I think I may have found a connection between our evil blue bloods of Starling. An accountant. Harold Backman."_

"You got a location."

" _I'm sorry, have you met me?"_

"Thanks Felicity, I'm on my way to the foundry."

" _Wait, how did operation rescue Twinkie go?"_

Oliver's eyes glanced up to the stairs and he just shook his head.

"She wants to finally start investigating who's hiring these people." Oliver replied turning and walking out the door.

" _And?"_

"And, I'm not letting her get into that position. Whoever this person is, they're dangerous-"

" _And haven't we concluded that Twinkie is a little dangerous herself. I know you want to keep her from the darkside of Starling, but I think at this point, that's impossible. She's apart of something and she deserves to at least be able of fight back."_

Oliver stepped inside of the car and glanced over to the house that always felt like a second home to him. It was the piece of normalcy he never had at his own home.

" _Plus you're forgetting one thing Oliver."_

"What's that?"

" _When has the word no ever stopped your friend Twinkie?"_

Katie sat in her bedroom, on the edge of her bed with her cell phone gripped tightly in her hand. This entire time she believed that ignoring the problem would just go away, but it would seem that some one really wants her out of the picture. She hoped that Oliver would be the one to help her track down whoever this is, but he's still hanging on to the hope that he can somehow save her from the darkness of this city. He doesn't realize that she had a darkness before she even came back to this city. He doesn't realize that she may be the darkest thing in this city.

_Ra's Al Ghul was not a name Katie even heard uttered before this moment, and now she fears it is a name she will never forget. He stared at her, with darkened eyes and Katie couldn't help but see how fitting the name demon head was for the man. Even though she really didn't want to, she knew that right now she could only survive by playing the game, and so she slowly dropped down to one knee and bowed before the man._

" _You have questions." he stated, his deep voice echoing around her. "Which is expected for someone in your position. The thing is I don't have time for your questions. In all honesty, I don't have time for you, but because I am a man of my word, here you are. Stand to your feet." Katie hesitated for a moment before doing as she is told, once again meeting the man's eyes. She glances over to see the unnamed woman standing beside her. "One question. That's all you get. After that question, there is nothing left but obedience." He brought his hands behind his back and nodded for her to go ahead._

_Katie stood there unsure what to say. There were so many questions in her head, each and everyone of them desperately needing to be answered. But she could only choose just one. So she chose the one she felt she needed to know the most._

" _Why am I here?" Ra's smiled slightly glancing over to his daughter before turning back to Katie._

" _Not too long ago I met a great warrior. It wasn't his fighting abilities, or his weaponry that made him great, it was his heart. It is rare to find a warrior whose heart is still pure and yet there he was. That warrior did what many have failed to do. He restored my faith in humanity. And for that I owed him a great deal, but all he wanted was one thing. He wanted you right here, right now." Katie stared at the man in confusion at such a vague answer. The man simply turned back to his alter feeling his answer was enough. "Each member of my league must complete a list of grueling tasks to prove that they are worthy."_

" _I don't want to be a part of your league." Ra's chuckled loudly glancing over to the woman over his shoulder._

" _One day you're going to live to regret those words."_

Katie shook away the memories, before finally lifting her phone and dialing a familiar number. As she listened to the ring, she found herself doubting if this was even a good idea. Before she could answer that question, the man had answered.

" _Robins," Bruce_ Wayne greeted cooly. _"It hasn't even been a full hour since we last spoke. I'm starting to think you actually like having me around."_

"Remember when you said that if I came to Gotham with you, that we'd be a team."

" _Yeah, but I thought you refused my invitation."_

"I did, but right now I need help. I need a partner."

" _Do I even want to know what this is about?_ "

"Maybe. Just get over here."

Bruce arrived sooner than Katie expected. He walked in eyeing the woman suspiciously, not sure what the hell was going on. He followed her into the kitchen, where he sat while she poured them coffee.

"You're going to tell what this about Robins, or am I going to have to guess?" Bruce asked as Katie took her seat from across from him.

"Someone's trying kill me." Katie said unfazed by the words. A long time ago, such a sentence would've shaken her, made her nervous. Now it didn't do anything but annoy her.

"You know I figured that out after some shot at you twice." Bruce replied crossing his arms over his chest. "After finding out someone broke into your house, and then someone hijacked a car you were in and then when you disappeared when we were supposed to watch that movie." Katie sighed as she looked down to the mug of coffee in front of her. "Tell me again why you don't want to go to Gotham?"

"Someone is trying to kill me." Katie replied glancing back up to meet the man's eyes. "I think I should find out who and I think you can help me."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I think you're the one who hack Starling's central system and I think you may have passed that information to a friend of yours."

"Friend?"

"The Batman." Bruce burst into a laughter at the statement. It took him a couple of moments to calm his laughter, but when he did he couldn't help but smile.

"You think I'm friends with the freak who flies around Gotham dressed like a giant Bat. I thought you knew me better than that Robins."

"I do. I also know that because of him a lot of people in your city are a live today. He stopped the bad guys and I know how much that means to you."

"Is it my help you're after or his?"

"I don't know him. I know you. I trust you. Can you help me?" Bruce stared at Katie with a quirked brow as she lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip.

"For some reason, I would expect Oliver to be in this seat instead of me." Bruce said and Katie let out a dry chuckle with a shake of her head.

"Oliver doesn't want to see what's in front of him." Katie replied glancing down to her cup once again. "He also doesn't want to see what's not." Bruce tilted his head slightly, hearing how those words didn't seem to come out easily.

"What exactly do you need from me?"

"Well I'm not familiar with the workings of Starlings crime scene, and I need to know who is. I need to know who the go to person is if you want to get rid of someone. Is that something you could find out?"

"I think so." Bruce said before raising his cup to take a sip as well. "You should prepare yourself for what you might find."

"That might be true if things surprised me anymore." Katie replied holding up her cup in a mock toast.

When Bruce finally left, Katie was left to mill about her house alone. After wandering around the house for just a few moments, she ended up outside the door of the room she hadn't had the courage to enter in a while. She reached forward, and grabbed the hand crafted door knob before pushing open the door. Katie didn't walk in immediately. Her feet seemed frozen in the spot right outside the door. She hadn't been in this room since the night she walked into see a vigilante standing above the man who'd came to kill her. Her father's office was a heavy reminder of the man. Katie remembers him spending so much time in here when she was younger. This place was his sanctuary. After a few moments, Katie takes a deep breath and takes a step inside and can't help but feel his presence around her. It almost makes her want to cry, because in this moment it hits her hard how much she misses him. Katie walked around his desk, and curls up in his seat and just lets her eyes roam over the dark room. Her fingers slide down to the drawer to her left and she pulls it open. She presses the hidden button underneath the drawer, lifting the secret compartment inside and she can't help but chuckle.

Jacob Robins was a man who loved suspense. He loved things being hidden in plane sight. That's why his office held many secret compartments, and hidden doors. Katie's hand grabbed the envelope she's stashed, before pulling it up and sitting it on the desk. She reached forward and flicked on the desk lamp and looked down to the envelope, the words Robert Queen scribbled on it. She's pretty sure Oliver forgot all about this envelope, because he hadn't asked her about it in a while and for that she was glad. She still hadn't opened it, partially because she was a afraid of what she might see. She was already shocked to find out about Mr. Queen's alliance with some of the criminals in this town, but she thinks it would kill her if she found out her father was one of them.

Katie was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of the front door opening and slamming closed. She quickly hid the envelope back in it's secret compartment before standing to her feet. She rushed for the door, but stopped when the door pushed open only to reveal Oliver.

"You know we should probably work out some variation of honey I'm home so I know it's you coming in the door and not some psycho." Katie said with a shake of her head before turning and flicking off the desk lamp.

"It's been a long time since you've been in here." Oliver said as he watched her head for the door.

"It's not a big thing."

"It kind of is." Oliver replied following her out of the office, closing it behind him. She rarely even mentioned her father after his death, and honestly he could relate, it was just sometimes his name is mentioned and it's like he can see knife piercing her heart. He wouldn't push it, hope this along with everything else would just come out when she's ready. "It's late. Why aren't you sleep?"

"I'm trying to quit." Katie said as she headed downstairs. "Or more like it's trying to quit me."

"Shouldn't you see someone about this? I mean you need to sleep for more than a couple of hours." Katie just ignored him as she walked into the living room, and plopped down on the couch before turning on the television. Oliver slid off his jacket, tossing it aside before walking over to sit beside her.

"So what was tonight's job?" Katie asked glancing over to Oliver. "Some corrupt congressman?"

"I thought we had an agreement." Oliver replied looking over to her.

"I don't know why you don't want me in any vigilante business. I'm like half your business."

"That may be so, but I like this being just this. Just you and me, and not the hood. It's less dangerous that way."

"Liver, people want to hurt me solely because I am who I am. I don't think me getting in your other world will change that."

"I'm more comfortable with you dealing with your own crazy then joining in on mine, ok?"

"Fine, I didn't want to join your stupid club anyway." Katie turned back to the television and Oliver shook his head, a smile on his face. It was strange. He remembers pulling from the darkness of that hood very difficult, and yet now all he did was walk through a door and see her face and he was back. "What the hell has happened to television?"

"Beats me." Oliver replied before quickly grabbing the remote from her hand and changing the channel.

"And you call me immature."

The next morning Katie was the first to wake up. Her eyes blinked open to find the once dim lit living room was now bright from the sun filtering through the windows. That's not what caught her attention. It should, seeing as since she's been back she hasn't gone to sleep at night and woken up in the morning without waking up from any nightmares in between. Katie's attention was drawn to the strong arm wrapped protectively around her waist, and the hand that rests lazily on the bare skin of her stomach underneath her shirt. She heard the light snores escaping his nose, as each breath tickled the back of her neck. What she noticed the most was how comfortable she was in this spot, right here seeming to fit perfectly against the man her heart will probably always belong to. Oliver woke up with a moan that Katie hadn't heard from him before. He seemed to stretch a bit, the hand on her stomach momentarily pulling her even closer to him. Katie had to bite her own tongue to stop an equally foreign sound from escaping her own lips. She suddenly felt him stiffen behind her and she figured he was just realizing their situation. She had to think long and hard because for the life of her she couldn't remember how they ended up here.

Katie realized there were more important things she needed to be doing. That's when she began thinking of how they could get out of this without it being awkward. She opened her mouth when she felt something vibrate against the back of her thigh, followed by Oliver snaking his phone from his pocket.

"Hello?" Oliver whispered.

" _Why are we whispering?"_ Felicity's voice whispered back from the phone.

"I'm not, I'm just not talking loudly." Oliver replied and Katie smiled a bit at the terrible lie. "What's up?"

" _You went to see Backman last night and you didn't call me, did you find something?"_

"Yeah, a laptop I was going to have you check out this morning."

" _Morning? Oliver it's almost twelve. Are you alright?"_

Oliver lifted his arm to look at his watch to see that it was in fact eleven forty five. He usually didn't sleep that late, especially not when his dreams were filled with things he'd rather forget. Then it hit him. He didn't have an bad dreams, at least none he remembers.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just-I'm just having a strange morning. Look I'll meet you at the club with the laptop."

_"Alright, but drink some coffee. You sound like you might need it."_

"I'll see you soon Felicity."

Oliver ended the call, letting out a deep sigh as he unconsciously dropped his hand back around Katie's waist. Katie could only imagine that he was also thinking of a way to get out of this, but he didn't make a move. Neither one of them did, and after a few moments they were afraid that if they didn't move, they probably wouldn't and so Katie decided to just get this over with.

"This doesn't have to be weird." she said breaking the strangely comfortable silence.

"It doesn't?"

"No, I mean we fell asleep. People fall asleep." she didn't think mentioning the position they had fallen asleep would help with with the awkwardness. "This doesn't have to be awkward, unless we want it to be awkward, and we don't want it to be awkward." She waited for some sort of sign of agreement, but none came and so she did something she probably shouldn't have done. She carefully turned around, so that she was facing him and it was in that moment did they both realize just how little space there was between them on the couch that seemed to comfortably fit them both.

Oliver's breath caught in his throat as his eyes seemed to marvel at the perfect way the sunlight hit her in this moment. All rational thought left him. She was right there, just a tilt of his head and his lips would find hers.

"You don't want this to be awkward, do you?" she asked again, her voice softer and he couldn't help but think she was asking something else. Something he wasn't sure he could answer...yet.

"Do you?" he asked.

"I asked you first."

"Well I'm-I'm thinking."

"You have to think?"

"Well, yeah, this is something we should think about right. I mean there's a lot at stake and-"

"Oliver stop-" Katie said before standing from the couch. "Just-" she shook her head because this was one of those moments she was afraid. Those moments when she felt herself inching toward something, something she really knew she couldn't have. Something she doesn't even believe she deserves to have, but a part of her really wants. And when she think she's getting close, there's that silent rejection that reminds her of what never will. "This doesn't have to be awkward." and with that she turns and rushes off. Oliver stands to his feet muttering a curse under his breath about to run to her, but something stops him. That part of him that always stops him from going after the things he wants.

Katie had to focus on what was important, and the girly feelings swirling around her definitely wasn't important. She showered and changed before sitting on the edge of her bed staring down the screen of her phone almost trying to will Bruce to call her. The morning was gone and she still hadn't heard a word or whistle from the man, which only made her worry that maybe he was backing out on her. Katie was so focused on that phone that she nearly jumped out of her skin when a knock at her door startled her. She stood to her feet, phone still gripped in her hands before walking over to the door and pulling it open slightly to see Oliver.

"You learned to knock. Good for you."

"One day I'm going to laugh at your jokes Twinkie, I look forward to that day. Sadly it's not today."

"Why have you darkened my door Liver? Is it to return my key because I've been waiting for that for-"

"I'm going to the club the meet Felicity and I was wondering if you wanted to tag along."

"Is this like some initiation into team unibomber?"

"We've never called ourselves that, definitely never will, and no. I just thought that maybe you'd like to get out of the house."

"I don't need your pity."

"So do you want to go?" Katie narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before releasing a sigh and nodding her head, because in all honestly she had no life.

"Yeah, I guess." and so she grabbed her jacket and they were off.

Oliver and Katie were walking down the back alley toward the foundry when Oliver glanced over to see Katie's eyes looking down to her phone.

"Are you expecting a call?" Katie turned to him with wide eyes and just shook her head.

"I'm just, uh- debating on whether to call my father's board of director's. I have a million and one voice mails and emails about setting a meeting to discuss the next plan of action and I guess I've been avoiding them."

"Did you want me to call my mom, I'm sure-"

"No." Katie said quickly and Oliver couldn't help but be confused. Katie hadn't mentioned that ever sense she spotted Moira speaking with Malcolm the day she was to sign over her father's company, a part of her seemed a bit suspicious of the woman. She was still not even sure why, but there was something about seeing the two of them talking that just rubbed her the wrong way. There just seemed like there was more to that whole thing and until she knew what it was then she decided to postpone any actions with her father's company. "I think I've asked a lot of your mother already, and I don't want to be a burden."

"You know she doesn't mind, I'm sure-"

"I would mind Liver." Katie said dismissively before quickening her step toward the back door. Katie walked in to find Felicity standing glancing down to something on her tablet. "Hey Smoak." Felicity glanced up to them and smiled.

"Hey." she replied looking over to Oliver who held a laptop under his arm. "Is that for me?" Oliver nodded before handing over the computer. "Oh goody."

"So, where's the head of my fan club?" Katie asked looking around for John Diggle. She expected her daily dose of doubt and suspicion and she figured she should get it out of the way.

"You didn't tell her?" Felicity asked and Katie turned to see the question aimed at the man behind her and so she turned to Oliver as well.

"Tell me what?"

"John left." Oliver said choosing not to look either woman in the eyes before he walked off stripping off his jacket.

"Left where?" Katie asked looking between him and Felicity and it was Felicity's face that gave her an answer. "Wait, why?" she looked over to Oliver who still refused to answer her questions. "Is this about me, because Oliver you idiot if you let him leave-"

"Stop!" Oliver snapped turning back to her. His tone didn't shake her, or startled her, she was more surprised than anything. "John left because of me and only me."

"Alright." Katie said with a nod before looking over to Felicity. "I have been denied an invitation into the team of the hooded, eye make up wearing man and because of that I'm going to go upstairs and play with the booze." she glanced over to Oliver who still seemed to avoid her eyes before she turned and headed upstairs toward the club.

Katie stood behind the bar, once again staring down to her phone debating on whether she should just call Bruce or not. She was about to just say screw it and dial his number when the door to the club opened and she rolled her eyes the moment she saw who it was.

"So this is where I'm going to get that daily dose of doubt and suspicion." Katie muttered. "Laurel, do you usually visit bars this early in the morning?"

"Says the woman standing in the bar to the woman who walked into the bar." Laurel replied folding her arms over her chest. "Why are you here?"

"I was invited, how about you?" Laurel seemed to bite her tongue before bringing a carefree smile to her face.

"I don't have time for this today, is Oliver here?"

"Maybe, why?"

"That's none of your business."

"You know it's strange that you have so much business with your ex boyfriend. How does Tommy feel about that?" Laurel took a step forward and Katie carefully sat her phone down on the bar.

"Hey!" Oliver's voice called as he walked in. "What's going on?"

"Girl talk." Katie replied her eyes never leaving the glare the woman in front of her was sending. "You know boys and make up and trading recipes."

"I highly doubt that." Oliver said glancing over to Laurel whose expression told a whole different story. "Laurel?"

"Can we talk?" Laurel asked finally turning to him.

"Sure."

"Alone." she added turning to Katie who simply smiled and folded her arms over the bar.

"Twinkie, could you give us a minute." The smile fell from Katie's lips at Oliver's dismissal, and one seemed to come to Laurel.

"Fine." Katie muttered grabbing her phone and stalking off toward the basement, making sure to bump Oliver's shoulder on the way down. He simply shook his head before walking over to the other side of the bar across from Laurel.

"I don't trust her."

"Laurel-"

"No Oliver, there's something about her that isn't right and you're if you get yourself tangled in her crap then you're going to end up hurt."

"I'm glad you're concerned about me, but you shouldn't. You don't know her and I think if you did you'd actually like her as much as I do."

"And how much is that exactly?" Laurel asked leaning over the bar slightly. She wasn't an idiot and she definitely wasn't blind. She saw that familiar look in his eyes whenever Katie was around.

"Is this what you wanted to talk about?" Oliver asked before turning and reaching into a box to stock the shelves behind the bar. "Because I'm not really interested in being judged right now, so you can just-"

"Tommy broke up with me." Laurel said and Oliver stopped and turned to her.

Katie grumbled to herself as she stalked down the stairs, looking down to her cell phone and going through her call logs and messages and making sure she hadn't missed anything.

"What are you muttering about?" Felicity asked, her eyes locked on the screen in front of her as her fingers typed away.

"The annoying pain in my ass that comes in the form of Laurel Lance."

"Gorgeous Laurel?" Felicity asked glancing over to Katie for a second before turning back to her screen.

"I don't call her that and neither should you." Katie replied walking over before the woman, leaning slightly against the control panel as Felicity typed. "She's not gorgeous and she's not perfect."

"Are you trying to convince me of that or yourself?" Katie shook her head at the question before she honestly didn't know. "So you're not a Laurel Lance fan."

"She had everything. She had the friends, and the looks and she had-" Katie bit her lip and let out a sigh. "She had the guy. The only guy I ever-" Katie just lifted her cell phone to once again try to distract herself from her feelings at the moment. "No, I"m not a Laurel Lance fan."

"Well if it's any consolation, I think you're a gorgeous Twinkie." Felicity replied with a smile that Katie returned.

"And you're a gorgeous Smoak." Katie said and they both laughed. "We're such dorks."

"Yeah we are, but we're cool dorks and that's all that matters."

"Damn right it is." Katie replied when her phone suddenly vibrated in her hand. "About time!" she rushed away from ear shot, answering the phone and bringing it to her ear. "Did you fall into a bottomless pit or something? I've been waiting on you to call all day."

 _"Well I'm sorry, but finding criminals isn't something you can do on google Robins."_ Bruce replied, his voice different. Tired maybe? _"Look I got a name and a place. I'm going to check it out-"_

"No, we are going to check it out."

_"Robins-"_

"We had a deal, remember? Partners, as in team, as in your ass isn't going anywhere without me."

 _"Fine, but you're going to need a dress._ "

"A dress? Why?"

_"You ever been to an underground casino?"_

"Don't ask questions you already no the answers to Wayne. So is that where we're going?"

_"Yeah, and it's kind of a fancy place so we're going to have to blend in."_

Katie looked down to herself. She was wearing an old KISS tshirt and a pair of faded jeans. She was definitely lacking in the style department.

"That may be difficult for me, I'm the embodiment of a sore thumb in fancy places."

_"Fine, I'll take care of it."_

"What does that mean?"

_"It means you ask too many questions. Meet me at my hotel in an hour."_

"Fine, I'll see you soon."

Katie ended the call and turned almost bumping into Oliver who'd been standing unexpectedly close to her.

"You're definitely getting a bell for Christmas. Why are you all in my personal bubble?"

"Who are you seeing soon?" Oliver asked and Katie rolled her eyes because the way he said, made it sound like something her father would say and she definitely didn't want father vibes from the man in front of her.

"Bruce." Katie replied deciding honesty was the best option. "He wants to grab some dinner and I agreed."

"You're going on a date with him? You just got out of the hospital!" his voice was nearing that tone he didn't like. That tone that expressed way too much of what he was really feeling.

"One, chill out, it's dinner and two it's just dinner!"

"Someone's trying to kill you and you think making yourself an easy target is the way to solve that problem?"

"Well I figure I have two options, either I make myself a sitting duck or I hide away like hermit."

"One of those choices end with you dead."

"No both those choices could end with me dead. One of those choices makes it my choice how this plays out. I can I hide, or I can draw this bastard out and get closer and closer to finding out who he is." Oliver stared at her with darkened eyes. She knew he wanted to argue with her about this, but she was stubborn. Too damn stubborn. "I want this to be over. I want you to stop worrying so much about me and focusing on what really matters like whatever top secret mission you and Felicity are handling right now. Trying to save me is a full time job and you already have one of those." she gave his arm a pat and walked past him, but she didn't expect him to grab her arm and spin her back to face him.

"Trying to save you isn't a job. It's a choice, one I don't regret or doubt. One I'm never going to quit." he took a slight forward that narrowed the distance between them. Whenever they were this close, things like reason and propriety just went right out the window. "You have absolutely no idea how much you mean to me Twinkie." and there it was. Words he'd always felt, but never spoken finally flying out of his mouth. Katie stared at him, clearly shocked with her mouth slightly open. She dropped her eyes from his, the intensity slowly pulling her in and breaking down her walls which couldn't happen. She doesn't know why, but she raises her hand to rest above his heart, just to feel the thumping underneath her fingers. It's her way verifying this moment is real. Oliver placed his hand above hers, and in that moment something happened. A silent agreement that passed between the two of them and neither one of them even realized it.

"I think I'm starting to." Katie whispered meeting his eyes once more. There was that force, that always seemed to pick up when they were this close. That force that wanted to pull them closer.

"Uh, Oliver-" A new voice breaks through the moment and they both fade back to reality. Katie dropped her hand to her side, before turning away. Oliver let out a sigh before looking over to Felicity who looked completely mortified that she's just interrupted their moment. "I'm so, so sorry to interrupt, but I just got something."

"And I think that's my cue to leave." Katie said looking back to Oliver. "I have my cell phone and I have my eyes open." she still saw that hint of hesitance in his eyes. "It's just dinner, what's the worst that can happen?"

"We don't say that around here." Felicity said an they both looked over to her. "Usually after someone does, we find out an answer to that question." the woman shook her head before going back over to her computers.

"Be careful and call me if you need me." Oliver said leaning down and pressing a kiss to Katie's cheek before walking over to Felicity. The kiss shocked them both, but neither chose to acknowledge it. Katie stood there for a moment in a mild state of shock before her feet were working again and so she rushed out of the there without looking back.

These moments with Oliver were becoming too confusing. Katie believed she knew where they stood, she believed that they're relationship was pretty obvious. They were friends, very good friends, and everyday it seems that there's something more she's not seeing. She does sometimes notice looks, or slight smiles that she didn't see often with the man, but that meant nothing. He's Oliver Queen and she's Katherine Robins, and that's the total definition of their relationship.

Katie's head was right where she didn't want it too be. Focused on Oliver Queen. She'd been so distracted that she didn't even realized how quickly she'd made it to Bruce's hotel. When she finally arrived outside his door, she shook off the thoughts as best she could before lifting her fist to knock on the door. When the door opened, it wasn't Bruce who greeted her. It was someone she didn't recognize. A woman. A very young woman, whose blond hair was pulled into two pig tails on top of her head. Katie took a step back to looked down the hall at the doors to make sure she was at the right room.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm lost." Katie replied turning back to the woman with confusion, because she was in the right place. "Or maybe I'm not?"

"Are you Katherine?" the woman asked with a bit of a southern twang that let Katie know she wasn't a Starling native.

"Uh, yeah?" the woman smiled as she let her eyes look Katie from head to toe, a _hmph_ escaping her lips as she did. "Who are you?"

"I'm supposed to reveal your inner swan or some bullshit like that." the woman said with a slight chuckle. "I'm Amy and Mr. Wayne has hired me for the night to make you a knock out honey."

"Where is Bruce now?"

"He's down at the tailors getting a suit for where ever you two kids are going tonight." Amy waved for Katie to come in. "Come on, we don't have much time and Mr. Wayne says I shouldn't waste any." Katie stood in the hall for a bit longer, seriously hesitant about all of this. "Don't worry honey, you're in good hands." Katie took a deep breath and hoped to hell Bruce knew what he was doing.

When Bruce returned to his room, he was dressed to the nines in a custom black suit that fit him like a glove. He straightened his tie before reaching forward and opening the door to his room. The moment he did, he searched around for Katie and ended up finding Amy standing outside the bathroom.

"But you look good!" the woman yelled through the door.

"What's happening?" Bruce asked and Amy nearly jumped out of her skin before turning to him.

"I did my job and she looks great, but she looked in the mirror and freaked and now she's locked herself in the bathroom."

"Alright, I can handle this." Bruce says waving the woman to go away for a while. Bruce walked over to stand in front of the door, placing his hands on either side of the frame. "What are you doing to me Robins?"

"I can't do this." Katie said from the other side. "I can't-"

"Why not?" there was no reply and Bruce let out a deep sigh. "Robins talk to me."

"I can't do this." Was her only reply.

Bruce dropped his head against the bathroom door, closing his eyes and trying to rack his brain for the right words in this moment.

_A young Bruce was laying on the lawn in the back of his mansion looking up to the night sky of Gotham. He looked over to the girl on his right, and saw that look in her eyes that hadn't seemed to go away the entire weekend she was here._

" _Are you ever going to tell me what's going on with you Robins?" Bruce asked and Katie looked over to him with a look of confusion. "What's going on with you?"_

" _It's nothing." Katie said looking back up to the sky._

" _How long have we known each other Robins?"_

" _Too damn long." was her expected reply that made Bruce chuckle. "Your point?"_

" _I like to think that I know you well enough to know when something is wrong. Right now, you have that look in your eyes when you're thinking about something entirely way too hard. So what is it?"_

" _I was asked to go to the prom." Katie muttered, but Bruce heard her. He sat up and looked down to her with a smile._

" _Well that's great Robins. Who's the lucky guy? Is it somebody I know? It's not the stoner kid is it?"_

" _No." Katie said sitting up as well. "It was Oliver." the smile fell from Bruce's face at the statement. His opinion of Oliver Queen wasn't too high. The couple of the times they met, he seemed like any other meat head jock he'd met, but that wasn't even why he seriously didn't like the guy. It was the effect on the girl in front of him. His friend who had a thing for the guy who was too stupid to see how great she was._

" _So you're going to the prom with Oliver? I'm not happy about that, but I guess I would expect you to be jumping off the walls with excitement that silver spoon Queen has finally come to his senses."_

" _You know it makes absolutely no sense for you to call him that when technically you're silver spoon Wayne, right?"_

" _Whatever, why so glum? You can't find anything to wear or something?"_

" _Oliver asked me to go, just not with him."_

" _What?"_

" _I'm Twinkie Bruce, you don't take Twinkie to prom." Katie jumped to her feet and headed back toward the house. Bruce quickly got to his feet and followed after her._

" _Oliver Queen is an idiot!" Bruce called after her practically running to catch up to her. Once he did, he quickly stepped in front of her to stop her from walking._

" _I'm just not going to go. It's not like anyone would miss me."_

" _Do you want to go?"_

" _No." Katie replied folding her arms over her chest and turning away. Bruce narrowed his eyes seeing through that lie. When she turned back to him, she let out a long exaggerated sigh. "Fine, yes, I want to go. Of course I want to go. It's senior prom. You only have one senior prom."_

" _Then go. For you, not for Oliver or for those idiots who gave you that stupid name. Go because it will make you happy."_

" _I don't belong there. That's been made very clear to me."_

" _You're right, you don't belong there with those people because you are better. Go and prove it to them."_

" _And how do I do that."_

" _We're going to go shopping tomorrow."_

" _I have school and you have to get back to college."_

" _We'll skip. What's the worst thing that could happen?"  
_

_"My father could cut his business trip short, fly here, kill me and then kill you."_

" _C'mon." Bruce said wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into the house. "Your father loves me. I'm sure I'll just get a stern talking to. You on the other hand-"_

" _Why am I even friends with you?"_

" _Because I'm awesome." Was his expected reply._

Katie opened her eyes once again and looked at herself in the mirror. This was one of those times where she didn't recognize the person staring back at her. Amy was right, she did good work. Katie's eyes zeroed in on her bright red lips and then they went over her now blemish free skin and they ended up on the loose curls that fell down over only one of her shoulders. The black dress she wore was reminiscent of that prom dress Bruce helped her pick out. This one was quite different though. It fit tighter, which she figures it's supposed to, and there's definitely a lot more skin showing from this one. More cleavage than she was comfortable with.

"Is this fear Robins?" Bruce asked through the door and something inside of her snapped. She instantly stood up straight, her fists clenching at her side. "There is no room for fear in your body. Do you know why?"

"Fear is weakness. Weakness leads to a punishment even worse than that of death." Katie replied almost automatically. She would never forget those words. "This isn't fear."

"Then what is this?" Katie continued to stare into the eyes of the woman looking at her, trying to see it. She wanted to see what was there and not what she thought was there.

"Insecurities, I think." Katie finally turned around and reached for to pull open the door. Once she did, Bruce took a step back and his eyes surveyed her longer than she expected.

"I'm paying her double than what we agreed." he muttered before meeting Katie's eyes. "You look gorgeous Robins." Katie shook her head before taking a step back about to close the door again, but Bruce took a quick step forward to stop her. "You are going to take that compliment, accept it and come with me to an illegal casino so we can find out who's trying to kill you." Bruce lifted his elbow, and Katie took one final deep breath before taking a step forward and looping her arm through his. "You ready for this Robins?"

"I don't think it even matters at this point." Katie replied as they headed for the door. When they stepped onto the hotel's elevator, Katie looked over to Bruce and he met her glance. "Never quote him to me again, understand?" Bruce simply nodded.

That night Oliver sat perched across from the casino, binoculars in hand. He wholeheartedly didn't like this plan of sending Felicity in to see what she can find on this guy Dominic Alonzo's computer, but there was a connection between him and Walter and at the moment there were no other options.

"And by me I mean my ear." Felicity spoke and Oliver just rolled his eyes at her nervous rambling. " I'm going to stop talking now."

"That would be my preference." Oliver replied just as another car pulled up. He watched as the driver stepped out of the car and walked around to the back to open the door. It was when Bruce Wayne stepped out of the car did Oliver feel his blood drain from his face. He watched as Bruce turned to help someone out of the car and Oliver prayed to whoever was listening that whoever was about to step out of that car wasn't the one person in this world he really didn't want here. He didn't see her face at first, but he just knew it was her and she looked...different. She was wearing a very tight fitting black dress, that seemed to hug her curves. Oliver found his binoculars moving over her body before he actually realized he was doing it. The door closed behind her and she glanced over her shoulder to survey the area and in any other situation he would've been proud of her cautiousness, but now, now she was about to walk into a very dangerous place with a man he still wasn't sure he trusted. Oliver stopped breathing when she stopped and looked up and it was as if she was looking right at him. He knew she couldn't, that the distance and the lack of light meant she was just staring at darkness, but in that moment it felt like she saw him. Bruce placed a hand on the small of her back and she turned a bright smile to him. Oliver felt a twinge in his gut that he definitely couldn't have now. Not when Oliver Queen wasn't supposed to be here. He watched as the pair walked up to the door, and Bruce mutters something to the guard. The guard looks back to the doorman and simply nods before the door is pulled open and the pair disappear inside.

"Felicity, I want you to remain calm."

"Ok." she muttered turning her head so no one could see her talking to herself. "That kind of freaks me out." she looked back toward the front of the casino just as a pair of familiar faces walked in. "Oh my God, Oliver?"

"I know, just stick with the plan."

"They sort of change the plan, don't you think?" Felicity replied as she looked across the bustling casino at the pair who seemed to be looking around as well. Suddenly Katie's eyes meet hers. "She sees me." Felicity watches as Bruce turns to Katie and says something. Katie says something back and that's when Bruce's eyes turn to Felicity as well. "Yeah, definitely change of plans now."


	20. The Blinded Heart

 

**The Blinded Heart**

"There is no instinct like that of the heart."

-Lord Byron

* * *

 

"We have a problem."

Those were definitely not words Bruce wanted to hear the moment they stepped inside of an illegal underground casino. He looked over to Katie, her eyes never leaving the woman who was standing beside the black jack table.

"That woman,the blonde, I know her?"

"How?"

"She's friends with Oliver." Katie said finally turning to the man. "I need to go talk to her."

"Fine, I'll look around." Bruce replied before they split off.

Katie grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and took a sip. She wish she could drink more, but this night could definitely do without drunk Twinkie. She sifted through the crowd until she was standing right beside the woman at the table. She leaned her back against the table, her eyes scanning the crowd.

"What are you doing here Smoak?"

"That's funny, there's a very angry archer in my ear telling me to ask you that question." Felicity replied as she glanced down to the cards in front of her. "He wants you to leave." Katie turned to the woman with a smile before leaning forward to press a kiss to her cheek.

"We don't always get what we want Liver." she made sure those words were spoken as clear as possible into the earpiece that was in the woman's ear.

"Blackjack!" the dealer called and Felicity's smiled widely down at the cards before looking to Katie's whose eyes were on something else. Felicity followed her gaze to see a man walking over to them. His eyes were on Felicity, and he was not happy.

"Miss, can you come with me?"

"Is something wrong?" Felicity asked and the man seemed to lean in a bit.

"Get. Up." the man asked his voice taking on a serious tone that left no room for opposition.

"That's not nice." Katie said sitting her glass down on the table and moving to stand between Felicity and the man. "Didn't your mother ever teach you how to speak to lady?" Katie looked over his shoulder to see two more guards appear to back him up. "Tough guy needs his friends against a couple of girls?" the man grabbed Katie arm hard, while one of the other guards grabbed Felicity and pushed them off the casino floor. It wasn't until they were in some sort of hallway did they let them go, but kept them surrounded. Felicity walked along side Katie, her eyes seeing a very strange look in the woman's eyes. It was familiar. It was a look of someone planning something. Katie took a quick step forward, but Felicity quickly looped her arm with hers to stop her. Katie turned to Felicity in confusion.

"It's fine." Felicity whispered and just then Katie realized that this was apart of the plan all along. "Oh there's the bathroom." Felicity spoke and Katie followed her eyes. " I should've known the manager's office would be down the hall and to the right of the bathroom."

They were slightly pushed into an office, a man sitting behind a desk looked up to them.

"Mr. Alonzo." one of the men greeted before pushing them further into the office.

"Please-" Dominic said pointing to the seats opposite his desk. "Sit." Felicity nodded and began walking over to one of the chairs, while Katie stood in her spot. Felicity looked back hoping she wasn't planning anything before she could access the computer. Katie met her eyes and simply sighed before walking over to sit in the other chair. "What are your names?"

"Megan!" Felicity answered quickly and the man turned to Katie.

"I'm one of those rare humans who was born without a name. You have no idea how hard it was for me in school."

"You're funny. Do you know where the term eighty six comes from?" he asked and Katie simply tilted her head and shrugged.

"I do actually." Felicity said with a nervous smile. Katie looked over and noticed something glowing in Felicity's hands that the woman quickly plugged into the man's computer. Katie turned away to keep from drawing any attention to the action. "There was a- an illegal casino, not like this one, located at 86 Bedford street in New York, and God, you know, I'm just gonna stop talking."

"Now it means to ban someone, someone who's cheating." the man replied looking between the two women sitting in front of him. "You're 86'd. Leave your chips and go." Felicity nodded a look of relief washing over her before standing to her feet. Katie did the same before they began walking toward the door. The hairs on the back of her neck stood, and Katie stopped moving when she heard the man stand from his chair. That's when she slowly moved to stand between Felicity and Alonzo. "Oh ladies one more thing." the guard by the door moved to block their way before taking out some sort of device that beeped a little louder the closer it was to Felicity. "You see the thing about card counters, they sometimes work with a partner on the outside." He placed a hand on Katie's shoulder before pushing her out of the way, causing her to fall to the floor on her hands and knees. Dominic took a step toward Felicity and reached up to her ear and plucked out the hidden earpiece. He dropped it to the floor and stepped on it with a chuckle.

"I don't think my partner is who you should be worried about." Felicity said and the man looked at her amused.

"Oh, really blondie? Who should I be worried about?"

"Probably me." a voice spoke and they all turned to Katie who was now standing to her feet, her heels now tossed aside. It was the guard who went for her first as Katie expected. "We have some questions for you Mr. Alonzo, but first your puppy looks like he needs a nap." The large man reached to grab Katie, but she jumped out of his reach before tossing a kick to his stomach and then to the back of his leg causing him to quickly fall to his knees in front of her. Just as he did, she grabbed the back of his head before jerking her knee up and knocking him out. She let him fall to the floor before climbing over him toward Alonzo, who pulled out a gun and aimed it at her. She held up her hands as if to surrender and sarcastically said, "Oh no, he has a gun. Whatever will we do now?"

The moment the ear piece lost signal, Oliver grabbed his gear and got dressed. He held his bow firmly in his hand, an arrow at the ready for the two guards he knew were going to be at the door. When he rounded the corner, he didn't expect to see both men lying on the ground, and the Batman standing above them.

"What took you so long?" he asked, his voice still rough and gravelly even though the two men knew who was underneath each others disguises. Oliver simply ignored the question before stalking toward the door and going inside. Just as expected gun fire erupted and Oliver was ready with his bow. Bullets and arrows were flying all over the casino that was now chaos with people running and screaming. Oliver was about to go in search of Katie and Felicity when he heard someone running up behind him. He prepared another arrow, and spun around about to shoot when a black bat shaped dagger pierced the man's chest knocking him off his feet. Oliver looked over to Bruce who nodded. "I think the words you're searching for are thank you." Oliver grumbled under his breath and restrained himself from shooting one of his arrows at the man, but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

Oliver ran to the back of the casino, down the hall where he spotted the bathroom. He turned right and saw the office labeled manager just as a gun shot rang from the other side.

"No." Oliver whispered before running toward the door, before kicking it open, his arrow ready to be fired. Oliver didn't know what he was going to see when he entered that office, but what he didn't expect to see was Katie standing above Dominic Alonzo with a gun pointed at him as he gripped his bleeding knee cap.

"Remember how you said I didn't have it in me to shoot you?" Katie asked glaring down to the man. "Remember that when we ask you a couple of questions." Katie looked over her shoulder to see Oliver, in full on vigilante gear, but it was vigilante behind him that she didn't expect to see.

"Oh my God." Felicity shrieked her eyes drawn to the Batman who walked in behind Oliver. "You're the, well you obviously know who you are because you're well him, I just-" she reached out and poked his arm to see if he really was standing right there just inches away from her. "Oh my God."

Oliver stalked toward the man and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and forced him to his feet, slamming him against the wall.

"Where is Walter Steele?!" Oliver asked angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Dominic asked practically shaking in fear.

Katie turned away from Oliver shaking down Alonzo to the man dressed like a bat who refused to look at her.

"Where is Bruce?" Katie asked walking over to him. He met her eyes and this time, without anything prohibiting her from seeing clearly, she saw it. What he really didn't want her to see. And that was the man behind the mask.

"He's dead. I delivered, They killed him and I heard the gun shot. He's dead." Those words were not what Oliver wanted to hear, and in a moment of pure anger he drew back his fist and punched the man in the face knocking him out.

"Shit." Katie said rushing over to the man, but Oliver caught her arm. "Will you let me go. I'm not done with him yet. He knows whose sending people to kill me."

"We have his computer, we have everything he knows." Oliver replied looking down to her. "We need to get out of here now." He pulled back his hood and looked over to Felicity whose eyes were glistening with tears. "Felicity-" she held up her hands to stop him before she grabbed her bug, turned and rushed out of there. Oliver sighed before looking over to Katie who stared at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"You two know each other, behind the masks I guess." Katie said looking between Oliver and Bruce. "And here I was thinking you two were through surprising me." She turned to Bruce and shook her head. "Some team we are huh?" she shook her head before stalking past the man out the door as well.

"You shouldn't have brought her here."

"Because she clearly can't take care of herself, huh?"

"You had no idea what she could've found down here. Did you even care?"

"You have a lot to learn about me Oliver. One of those things is, everything I do has a purpose."

"What was the purpose of this?"

"Answers." Bruce replied. "She has a lot of questions and no answers and she can't move forward without those answers."

"You need to be careful with her. You have no idea what she's been through and-"

"Oliver, I know more about what she's been through than anyone in this world. Why don't you focus on telling your mother that her husband's dead and then see how she reacts."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Bruce simply shook his head before turning toward the door. "Are you going to answer me?"

"She told me that you have a hard time seeing what's right in front of your face. She also said that you have a difficult time seeing what's not. Open your eyes Oliver and see what's been happening right in front of you."

It was moving around inside of her. The darkness that was created inside of her. She felt it the moment her hands wrapped around the cold steel of that gun. She could feel it even more when she pulled that trigger and heard him scream in pain. She liked it and that made her sick to her stomach. When she got home she quickly ran to her room and stripped off every piece of clothing she had on before jumping in the shower to wash it away. She was in the shower for about an hour when she realized that no amount of scrubbing could wash away something that was now in her blood.

_Katie was barely conscious, if conscious at all. It's a very strange feeling when you don't even know if what is happening you is actually happening or if you're hallucinating. Katie wrists were bound above her by chains that were held to the ceiling and her ankles were the same, only chained to the floor. She was no longer standing, she no longer had the strength to stand. At this point she was just hanging by her wrists praying for death. It had been days, probably weeks that she'd been pushed into this room and forced to go without food or water or sunlight. She was imprisoned in the darkness. Everyday...every single God damn day, Ra's paid her a visit. For those few moments, light was brought in, in the form of candles that would be circled around her._

_Today when he walked in, she didn't even acknowledge him as she kept her head rested in the most comfortable position she'd found, and that was propped up against her up arm. He walked around, so her dazed eyes met his. He narrowed his gaze as he always did when he looked into her eyes as if searching for something. This time though a smile crept to his lips._

_"What are you thinking about right now?" she lifted her eyes slightly and looked at him for a moment._

_"Longer chains." her dry, rough voice replied. His brow furrowed for a moment as he let his eyes lift to the shackles around her wrists and the ones on her ankles._

_"Why?" a smile came to her lips that even she doesn't know how she was able to form._

_"Just a couple of more inches and I could strangle you before you could even call your league of merry men." she replied holding his gaze._

_"There it is." Ra's said before lifting a hand and snapping a finger. "I knew today would be the day. It was only a matter of time." two of his men came into the room and began unclasping the shackles. Once she was free, Katie dropped limp in their arms. The practically had to drag her toward the demon head. "I knew it would come out sooner or later."_

_"What?" she asked and he grabbed her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his._

_"The darkness you're going to need if you ever plan on leaving this place."_

After her shower Katie sat on the edge of her bed for probably another hour or so, her eyes closed as she tried to make it go away. It was always hard to bury the darkness, but she could feel it moving through her veins. Her finger tips twitched on her lap and she tried to calm herself. A rough laugh cut through the room and she opened her eyes to see her first tormentor.

_"You can't fight what you've become. No one can save you from this."_

Katie grabbed her jacket and stalked out the door. She couldn't sit still because if she did, her demons came out to play. She needed a distraction and she hoped she would find it at the foundry. The moment she opened her front door, she almost ran into Bruce who was about to knock.

"What are you doing here?" Katie asked before shoving him back and closing her door behind her. She walked around him and began walking down the sidewalk as she snaked her phone from her pocket and pressed a familiar button. "Shouldn't you be visiting your new best- yes, I need a taxi-" her phone was plucked from her hand and she spun around angrily. "What are you doing?" Bruce hung up the phone before looking down to her.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't really care." she replied reaching for her phone, but he held it out of her reach. "You want to dress up as a-" she shook her head at the deja vu in this conversation. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. Maybe I didn't want to see that look in your eyes." he said pointing to her eyes. "That look like you don't know who I am."

"I don't know who you are." she replied once again reaching for her phone, but he wouldn't let her have it. "Why does everyone think I'm the one who's going to spazz when she finds out they have a thing about costumes?"

"I don't have a thing about costumes, I-"

"Like to dress up like a Bat and fly around Gotham and fight bad guys."

"No, I mean, yeah sort of. Well-" he shook his head in frustration. "Shut up for one second. I do this because I was given these skills that my city needs. I can protect them from the Falcone's of the world and stop another kid from growing up without parents." Katie took a step toward him, bringing her so close that there was barely any space between them.

"I know how strong the darkness can be that he brought out in us. I'm glad you found a way to redirect it." she punched his shoulder, before quickly grabbing her phone back. "I think at this point we're beyond hiding from each other, so don't do it again." she turned and began walking again.

"Where are you going?"

"None of your business!"

"Are you going to Oliver's secret base of operations that's cleverly located under his club?" Bruce asked and Katie stopped walking and turned to him. "I'm pretty good at what I do." he nudged his head behind him. "And I have a car and can give you a ride." Katie stared at him for a moment inwardly debating on whether she should go. "We're a team Robins. I promise." Katie walked over to him and stared at him for a moment, her eyes unreadable. After a few moments, she walked around him and headed toward his car.

When they arrived at the foundry, Katie lead Bruce down the alley that lead to the basement entrance.

"You think he'll be alright with me being here?" Bruce asked suddenly which caused Katie to stop walking and turned to him.

"You haven't been here before?"

"No."

"Then how did you know where it was?"

"I followed him here once." Bruce said with a shrug that made Katie roll her eyes.

"Fine, just wait here. I'll call you if you're clear to come in." she replied before turning and heading inside. When she opened the door, it was completely dark except for a light from a lamp. Katie walked inside. She could hear his breathing, and so she followed the sound. She used the light from her cell phone to give her light, which helped her spot him sitting on the floor. She let out a sigh before walking over and sliding to sit beside him on the floor beside him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"My house has ghosts. They only disappear when you're there and so I decided to come find my ghost buster." she looked over to him and even though she couldn't see his face, she knew that made him smile. "I'm sorry about Walter. I didn't know him well, only from passing. But what I did see, he seemed like a good man and he loved your mother-" that made Oliver scoff. "What?"

"I told my mother that Walter was dead."

"How did she take it?"

"She didn't believe it. Like she just knew it wasn't true and so when she left the mansion, I followed her."

"Where did she go?"

"To see Malcolm Merlyn." Oliver let out a deep sigh as the information he'd just found out spun around in his head. "Walter's alive. Apparently my mother has been working with Malcolm because he's been keeping Walter held hostage somewhere." They both heard the sounds of footsteps before the lights suddenly came on. When they did, they found that their eyes were looking at each other. Katie could see the pain in his eyes as the realization of his mother's involvement seemed to be hitting him. She placed a hand on the side of his cheek, and he leaned into her touch.

"I've been sitting in the dark too." a familiar voice spoke and they both turned to see Felicity. "Am I interrupting. I feel like I keep interrupting. I should get my Twiver radar checked."

"Twiver?" Katie said looking over to the woman as she came down the stairs.

"Twinkie, Liver." Felicity said looking between the two of them. "That's what I'm calling you guys now."

"How about you just don't." Katie suggested standing to her feet. "And you're fine. You kind of have perfect timing."

"What's going on?" Felicity asked looking between the two. Oliver told her that Walter was alive, and she couldn't believe it. But she saw the certainty in his eyes. And so Oliver told her to trace the call Malcolm made to the location of wherever Walter was being held.

"Can you bring up a satellite image?" Oliver asked and once Felicity did, they all looked to the heavily guarded facility.

"That's a lot of security for low income housing." Felicity muttered as she zoomed into get a better look at what they were dealing with. "There's two guys stationed at all access points."

"And just one on the roof."

"Yeah, and who knows how many on the inside." Katie added and Oliver let out a sigh before turning to her. "I know I'm not in the inner circle of team Katniss, but you going there by yourself is still kind of dangerous. You need back up."

"You're not coming with me."

"Then you're going to have to settle for the alternative." Katie said taking out her cell phone and sending out a quick text.

"What alternative?" and as if on cue, the back door opened and in walked Bruce. "Absolutely not!" he glared over to Bruce before turning to Katie. "You had no right to bring him here!"

"I'm sorry, did I miss the part where you two kicked some serious ass at that casino. Whether you like it or not Liver, you two work very well together and since you were an ass and your usual partner quit, it's either the Batman or Twinkie?" Oliver glared at the woman who simply folded her arms over her chest and just looked back just as defiantly. "Your choice."

In the end Katie and Felicity held down the fort while Bruce and Oliver went to save Walter. The guys had just left and Katie realized that she really didn't have the patience to just wait.

"So you do this like all the time?" Katie asked and Felicity looked over to her from her spot behind her computers. "Hang back, while they go out and catch the bad guys."

"Yeah, I like the safeness that my babies bring." Felicity said glancing down to her computers with a smile. "I leave the heavy lifting to Oliver and John." the smile fell at the mention of her friend. "I guess it's just Oliver now."

"I'm sorry, I feel like I'm to blame for John leaving."

"Oliver's right. What's going on between John and him is definitely just between them."

"But I had a part, right?" Felicity didn't say anything as she turned back to the video that was monitoring the safe house Walter was being held. "I would guess you know where John lives, right?" Felicity turned to the woman with a shake of her head.

"That is definitely a bad idea. I'm like ninety nine point nine percent sure someone will be shot because of it."

"And I'm one hundred percent sure that Oliver can't afford to lose any friends. And I'm one hundred and ten percent positive that I can't be the reason, even if slightly. I have a way with people and I just want to talk to him."

"He doesn't really like you all that much."

"That has never stopped me in the past."

In the end, Felicity caved because at this point she would accept any help to get her team back together. Katie really wasn't sure what she could do exactly, but she knew that if she could just talk to him, then maybe she could help fix what she had broken.

Katie stood outside his door for a full five minutes before actually knocking. It wasn't a loud knock. It was a, "if he doesn't hear it, at least I can say I tried" knock. John Diggle was a man who had very good hearing apparently, because the door soon swung open. Katie met John's darkened glare with a bright smile.

"What are you doing here?" he asked impatiently.

"Wow, you don't get many guests do you?" John began to close his door and Katie quickly stepped forward. "Wait, alright, I'm here because I feel guilty."

"For what? Oliver is a grown man who makes his own decisions. He chose to not be there when I needed him, and that's why I left."

"The thing is Oliver is stupid sometimes." Katie stated and despite his annoyance with the woman, that actually made him smile. "And he tries his best to help everyone, and sometimes in his quests he misses someone. Do you know why Oliver and I are even friends?"

"You know I'm still trying to figure that out." John replied crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oliver was surrounded by people who told him what he wanted to hear whether it was true or not. He had one person to tell him that if he didn't focus on something then he wouldn't survive in life. He realized that he needed more people like that. People he could trust, he could count on. Oliver doesn't have many people like that in his life and I doubt he can afford to lose any."

"Look I appreciate you coming here to try to help, but in the end I just need to hear these things from one person."

"Right, I get it. Just know that he's a bit emotionally damaged, and it takes him a very long time to admit when he's wrong about something. So trust me when I say that at some point, very soon he's going to show up at this door to finally say he's sorry. Just keep an open mind about accepting it." John simply gave her a nod. "Alright, that's all I came to say and now I'll leave you to your life of seclusion."

"As compared to your life of seclusion."

"I wish I had seclusion. I'm never alone, even when I am." John looked a bit confused at that statement and Katie just shook her head. "Whatever, I guess I'll see you around." Katie turned about to leave, and John probably should've let her, but there was an opportunity here that he doesn't think he can afford to pass up.

"Let me ask you something." he said and Katie stopped and turned to face him. "Bullshit aside, what aren't you telling us?" Katie let out a deep sigh as she turned away. "Is it bad?"

"Depends on your point of view." Katie replied looking back up to him. "I was taken by very bad people who did very fucked up shit to me and now when I look in the mirror I don't recognize the person looking back at me. Trust me John, me not talking about it isn't me purposely being secretive, I just-" a flash of a memory hit her right then. John glanced down to her hands that twitched at her side and he reached forward to grab her shoulder, but she quickly backed away from his touch. "Nothing I'm not saying in any way bring danger to you guys."

"What about China White? You knew something about that?"

"After she tried to kill me. Hopefully she's the last skeleton I have to worry about?"

"What about whoever wants you dead?"

"A year ago I returned to the DWB, I was in a hospital for about six months before being questioned by probably every government agency in the US before getting on a plane and returning to Starling. In that year no one tried to kill me."

"You're thinking it's someone here."

"It has to be. I mean as soon as I come home, a series of unfortunate events start up. It can't be a coincidence."

"You know I think I've learned more about you in these last couple of moments then I have in all the time that I've known you."

"It's time. I just need time. As I'm sure you can understand from your time in the army, some of the things you see, or that happen to you, you carry it forever. I'm realizing every day just how much of the past I'm carrying."

"Maybe you should let it go."

"I don't think I can, or at least ready to."

"Well then maybe you should find someone to help you carry it. Someone who's familiar with your kind of demons."

"You volunteering Mr. Diggle?"

"No, I'm man enough to admit when I see a challenge I can't beat. You should talk to Oliver. I think you'd be surprise how much in common you two have. All I'm saying is, at some point he's going to come to you, probably very soon asking to help you and I just think that maybe you should consider accepting it." Katie gave the man a smile before nodding. "Do you need a ride or something?"

"No, I borrowed a friend's car" Katie said holding up the keys to Bruce's Lamborghini. "And it is borrowing even if I didn't officially ask him and he didn't officially say yes."

"Keep telling yourself that Twinkie." John replied and Katie pointed a glare at him with a pointed finger. "It is very endearing."

"Bite me." Katie bit back before turning and sauntering off down the hall.

Katie was riding the elevator when a text came to her phone. When she looked down, she read the message from Felicity telling her that Bruce and Oliver found Walter and that they were taking him to the hospital. Since the night was young and Katie wanted to go anywhere but to her empty house, she decided she'd go for support.

Katie arrived at the hospital just moments after Walter was brought in. She bumped into one of his nurses and as luck would have it, an old friend of Katie's from school.

"So he's hooked up to an IV, because I doubt he was being properly feed and hydrated while being held by criminals."

"Yeah, the doctor ordered it first thing. He's really doing alright." the nurse glanced down to her watch. "I should go, but it was good seeing you."

"You too Penny." Katie said with a wave as the woman rushed off. Katie let out a tired sigh before walking over to the waiting area and collapsing in one of the seats. It didn't take long for her to close her eyes and drop her head back, before she let the exhaustion finally take over.

_Katie's eyes were closed underneath the blindfold, and there was barely any noise around her, but she knew she wasn't alone. She knew that there were four...no five men surrounding her. She held the katana tightly in her hand, as she tilted her head and listened closely to the heart beats of the men around her. She heard one footstep move closer to her, and she quickly swung her sword blocking a hit. Just as she did, another move was made behind her, so she spun around to block that one. All of sudden they chose to attack at once, and Katie found herself moving to the sounds around her. Suddenly everything stopped and she was just standing, practically out of breath waiting for the next attack, but it didn't come._

_There was a single hand clap that broke through the silence and Katie quickly pulled the blindfold from her eyes to see men lying on the floor surrounding her._

_"Almost perfect." Ra's said and Katie turned to him with a look of confusion._

_"I'm still standing, how is that almost perfect?" his eyes looked down to her arm and Katie followed his gaze to see blood dripping from a wound. She didn't even know she's been hit._

_"You were quick, but not quick enough." he said walking over to her and placing himself right in front of her. "You failed-"_

_"Wait!" Katie practically pleaded knowing where this was all headed._

_"You need another lesson in agility."_

_"No, just give me another-" Ra's lifted his hand and snapped his fingers and before she knew it, men appeared on either side of her, grabbing her and pulling her away. Katie struggled in their grasps, but it was no use. Soon they appeared at a familiar door, one that opened too quickly. Katie was pushed through and landed on her hand and knees on the hot sand when she heard the heavy door slammed closed behind her. Just then, a loud, deep roar sounded around her and Katie quickly jumped to her feet. Her eyes scanned around seeing nothing but sand and rocks, for the source, but she didn't see anything. She knew it was there, probably watching her and waiting._

_"I guess this is round two you son of bitch." Katie muttered before she ran in search for a place to hide until morning._

When Katie opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the heart beat underneath her ear once again and she figured she had to be dreaming. She lifted her head slightly, just as Oliver looked down to her with a small smile.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked.

"Well if you are, it has to be one awesome dream if I'm in it." Oliver replied, his arm still wrapped around her. "What are you doing here?"

"Felicity told me you guys were bringing Walter here and I thought I'd-" she let out a yawn as she pulled away to stretch a bit. "I don't know be here for you." she met his eyes and realized how that sounded. "And your mom and Thea." she saw a window and saw that it was now morning. "I must've been here longer than I thought." she turned back to Oliver. "How's Walter?"

"He's fine. My mother and Thea are with him now."

"He mention anything about who took him?" Katie asked an Oliver just shook his head. "Well we know who took him. We know your mother's involved apparently and we know that they're planning something, right?"

"The Undertaking." Oliver muttered and Katie looked at him in confusion. "I don't know what it is, but I'm afraid it's big and it's going to hurt a lot of people."

"Wow." Katie said with a slight shrug. "Well I would help you, but I still haven't been officially inducted into Team Robin Hood."

"Do you just sit and think of this stuff?" Oliver asked and Katie chuckled before dropping her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"So how was teaming up with Bruce? I'm not going to find him riddled with arrows, am I?"

"No, no matter how much I wish he did. Fine, I'll admit, he's good. Really good."

"Can I say it?"

"No."

"Just let me say it Liver."

"I really don't-"

"Please, please please-"

"Fine!"

"I told you so." Katie sang with a smile as she looked up to Oliver who simply shook his head. "I was right, you were wrong. I'm the genius in this relationship and-" Oliver dropped his eyes to hers, and it happened again. They got sucked into those feelings that they tried burying, that they tried ignoring. It seemed to be no use, because in this moment nothing else existed around them. "You're lucky to have me in your life."

"I really am." Oliver replied, his voice suddenly hoarse as he leans in closer to her.

"Ollie!" a voice spoke and Oliver pulled away too quick for it to be unnoticeable. They both turned to see Laurel standing there, her eyes glancing between Katie and Oliver, before she turned to him. "Uh, hey."

"Hey." Oliver said with a smile before standing to his feet. He was about to walk over to her, but stopped and looked down to Katie who looked away from him. "I'm just-"

"Go." Katie said turning back to face him. "It's Laurel. Just go." her phone rang and Katie quickly grabbed it from her pocket. Once she looked down to the number, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Shit. I forgot I stole a car." She jumped to her feet, looking over to Oliver. "I guess I'll see you around." She barely glanced at Laurel, before she rushed down the hall.

Katie's phone was pressed to her ear when she practically ran out the doors of the hospital.

"I know, I'm so, sorry, I'm bringing your car, like right now."

"Don't even bother." a voice spoke from behind her and Katie spun around only to come face to face with Bruce. She pulled the phone from her ear and simply held up the keys to him. "So car thief is on your resume too?"

"Car borrowing" Katie replied with an innocent smile as he took the keys from her. "I'm sorry, I forgot that I don't own a car."

"You know, I could-"

"No you can't" Katie replied looking around and spotting a coffee truck. " They probably sell decent coffee, huh?" she nudged her head and Bruce followed behind her. "So I hear it went well last night."

"Yeah, I was actually impressed. He's helping my perception of him every day." Katie threw him a slight smile. "But I have to say, someone who can't see someone like you standing in front of him, will always be an idiot in my book."

"Hey, I'm standing in front of you and you haven't made a move yet Wayne."

"You know if you weren't practically my sister, and I didn't hear your father threatening me every time I had an impure thought about you, I would totally make a move." Katie shook her head at the man when something...she should probably say someone caught her eyes. Bruce followed eyes to the entrance of the hospital, to see Malcolm Merlyn standing with his phone to his ear.

"You know I don't think I need Felicity to find out what's on the bug. I mean I think we've found our common thread. What are the chances that a place that people who tried to killed me have passed through once or twice would be the same place that Malcolm Merlyn goes when he needs a criminal to do his bidding?"

"You think Malcolm is the one trying to kill you?" Bruce asked, his eyes never leaving the man. "Why would he do that?"

"My father's company." Katie said just realizing what was sitting right in her face. "He's the one who would probably pounce on my father's estate if something happened to me. Plus there's the fact that he hated my father and probably wouldn't mind sticking it to him one more time."

"We need proof Robins." Bruce replied and Katie glanced over to him to see the darkened look in his eyes as he looked over to the man.

"Well we could go ask him." Katie said unexpectedly. Bruce turned to her about to ask if she was kidding, but his question was answered when she suddenly began walking toward the man.

Malcolm turned and saw the two walking over to him and couldn't help the smile that came to his face.

"Let me call you back." he said quickly to whoever was on his phone before pulling it from his ear. "So I guess you heard the good news. It's a miracle isn't it? I thought for sure Walter was dead."

"Well I figure he was just kidnapped by some very stupid criminals"

"I hear the mastermind behind the whole thing is still out there." Bruce said and Malcolm turned to him.

"You know I heard that too. I'm sure whatever Walter knows is going to lead to the son of bitch behind this." she looked over to Bruce. "I bet he's behind a lot of the crime here in Starling." Katie's eyes went Back to Malcolm. "Hell he's probably the one behind my string of bad luck with people trying to shoot me."

"Maybe." Malcolm said before glancing down to his phone. "If you two will excuse me, I should be getting back to work."

"It was great seeing you again Malcolm. We should get some lunch some time to catch up." Bruce said surprising both Katie and Malcolm.

"Yeah we should definitely set that up." Malcolm replied shaking Bruce's hand. The man turned to Katie and just smiled. "Doctor Robins." and with that he walked around them to find his car. Katie and Bruce turned and watched the man until he stepped into his car and sped away.

"Alright, he knows we know something now." Bruce said. "So he's going to start cleaning house." he turned Katie. "We need something. A lead."

"We have one, we just have to get to it."

"Moira"

"That should be interesting." Katie replied before heading back to get her coffee.

That night Katie sat curled up on the could in her pajamas with a bowl of ice cream. If anyone asked her she would tell them it was the first bowl. She lifted her head when she heard the front door and, and soon Oliver appeared.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be home with your recently reunited family?"

"Mom is staying at the hospital with Walter and Thea has gone where ever Thea goes when she's not with us, so I decided to come to check on you." Katie stared at him for a moment and he looked like there was more he wanted to say. He turned to the television which was currently some infomercial, as he pulled off his jacket. "I talked to John tonight, he said you stopped by."

"It was nothing." Katie said taking another bite from her ice cream as she kept her eyes on the television. She felt Oliver looking at her, and she tried her best not to turn to him, but it was as if he was in her head because against the voice in her head telling her not to, Katie met his eyes. Oliver grabbed the bowl of ice cream from her hands and sat in on the coffee table in front of them.

"I was still eating that."

"And I will give it back" He replied once again turning to her. "I need to ask you something that's very important." Katie felt her heart begin to pick up speed when he took her hand in his. "The day I met you, I knew there was just something different about you...strange...odd?" Katie punched his shoulder and Oliver couldn't help but laugh. "No seriously, the day I met you I knew you were someone I wanted in my life. And I like to think that in a way I did that." Katie rolled her eyes with a shake of her head. "Fine it was a stupid, mean, self serving way, but I had you and that's all I really cared about at the time."

"My ice cream will be melted by time you're done won't it?"

"Stop, look this is important. A part of me thinks I should do this, and the other part tells me not." Katie's brow furrowed in confusion as Oliver dropped his eyes to her hand before once again meeting her eyes. "Since you've been back I thought keeping you and my other life separate was for the best." Katie's eyes widened at the statement because she just knew where this was going. "Everyday I learn that is becoming very impossible. And surprisingly it was Diggle who made me realize that you were already apart of it. So I'm deciding to make it official."

"Is this how all the team was initiated?"

"Stop talking."

"Like did you hold John's hand too and stare deeply in his eyes?"

"You know what, never mind." Oliver replied dropping her hand and standing to his feet. Katie quickly jumped up and hopped on his back, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"Oh, just come out with it you overly dramatic-"

"Fine, I want you to be apart of the team." Oliver finally said looking over his shoulder to Katie, waiting for a response. "What do you say?" Katie turned away as if in thought, and Oliver just shook his head. Of course after nagging him about this, when he finally asks she would be a pain about it. "I will drop you." Katie just laughed before turning back to him.

"Fine, I will be happy to join team Robins." Katie said before jumping off of his back.

"We will never, ever be called that." Oliver replied turning to see her gabbing her ice cream and turning back to the television. He walked over to sit beside her, grabbing the remote and flipping off the television.

"Now what? You don't have to beg me any more to be about of your team, I already agreed." Katie whined reaching for the remote, but Oliver kept it out of reach.

"Beg? Really?" Katie tried to grab the remote again, but he was being annoying and not giving it to her. "Look if you are going to do this, then you're going to have to follow the rules."

"There are rules?"

"Yes, and the number one rule is not negotiable. I am in charge and if I tell you to do something, then there will be no questions, or smart comeback, you do it, understand?"

"Fine, whatever" Katie replied even though she doesn't even think she's capable of such a thing. "So will I be going out flying across the city and-"

"No, your place will be at the foundry with Felicity. If I come back bleeding profusely, you stop it. That's the scope of your position on the team."

"You're joking?"

"I don't joke." Oliver said seriously before standing to his feet and heading for the kitchen.

"Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts!"


	21. The Hero's Dilemma

**The Hero's Dilemma**

_"It is surmounting difficulties that makes heroes."  
-Louis Pasteur_

* * *

Oliver Queen liked to think of himself as a very complex individual who was really good at hiding things from everyone. Almost everyone. There were a few individuals who saw through his facade. One person in particular who he forgot he had to try harder to hide from.

His chest heaved as his feet moved slowly along the mat, his eyes on the woman standing across from him looking just as tired and worn as he was. And yet there was a smile on her face as she watched him and he couldn't help but return it. Before he knew what was happening, Katie ran over to him tossing a fist that he dodged, before grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back, pulling her against his chest. Her head fell back against his shoulder in exhaustion, as his head rested on the side of hers just breathing her in. At this point his heart was ramming in his chest from both the adrenaline, and from the fact that he was holding her so close to him. In a move that Oliver didn't see coming, Katie lifted her foot to step on his, causing him to loosen his grip on her. Once she was free, Katie dropped to swing a leg under his feet.

Oliver's fell on his back against the mat, once again letting out a grunt in pain. He heard a chuckle escape her lips as she moved around him.

"You're distracted." Katie said bringing her arm up to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "And if you're distracted then this is pointless." She walked over and stared down to him as he just laid there trying to catch his breath. "What's going on in your head Liver?" Oliver met her eyes and sighed. That was definitely a loaded question. He was thinking about his mother and her part in some plan with Malcolm Merlyn. His head was spinning with the fact that his best friend's girlfriend, his ex girlfriend showed up and told that she still had feelings for him. Oliver couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Tommy refuses to even acknowledge his existence in the past couple of weeks. Katie was right, Oliver was distracted, but at the moment his biggest distraction was the fact that she chose to spar with him in very tight yoga pants and a sports bra. Ever since she stepped out from the bathroom, very impure thoughts, thoughts he wasn't proud of, floated into his head and they had yet to float out.

"This is sad, you know I sort of expect more from the guy arrogant enough to put on a hood, and put on his eye make up-" In one swift movement, Oliver kicked out a leg, sliding underneath Katie's legs and knocking her off her feet causing her to drop on the mat beside him with a thud.

"Gah!" she grunted hitting the mat.

"You were saying?" Oliver asked.

"Jackass." she muttered slapping his chest with the back of her hand. They both just laid there, their chests heaving trying to just catch their breaths. Katie tilted her head to look over to him. "Hey?" Oliver turned to her and was once again just distracted by her. Sometimes he wondered why she couldn't see it. It had to be just written on his face whenever he looked at her. Even now, her hair wet from sweat and her face a slight tint pink as she stared at him. It was always on the tip of his tongue when he looked at her, but he couldn't say it. So he let out a deep breath and turned away, hoping that lessened the temptation. "Seriously, talk to me."

"You know how ironic this is coming from you" Oliver said staring up to the ceiling, but he could feel her eyes on him. "I'm fine. We'll find out what the Undertaking is and we will stop it and make sure justice is served in the end."

"It doesn't make sense does it?" Katie spoke turning on her side to face the man who was avoiding her eyes. That was the constant thought Oliver had as he thought of all of this. "I always thought of your mother as like a second mom, she was kind and had a good heart. What could have lead her to taking up arms with Malcolm?" she noticed the slight clench of Oliver's jaw and so she reached out a hand and placed on top of his chest. He released a breath, and relaxed against her touch. "I know I am as emotionally damaged as the best of them, but I know you Oliver and I know how hard this must be for you, so if you want to talk to me about it, then I'm just a couple of feet from the room you're squatting in." Despite the will power Oliver thought he had, he turned to her.

"Who are you right now?" he joked and she smiled turning back to look up to the ceiling.

"Someone who does not like to see you so upset." she replied finally removing her hand from his chest and lying back on her back.

"You know this could be it." Oliver said and Katie turned to him. "If Malcolm really is the one who's behind all of this, even what's been happening to you then you can finally have a life."

"You think so?" it was a strange question to counter such a sentiment. Oliver assumed that finally getting rid of the cloud over her head and always watching over her shoulder would make her happy. "I don't think I will believe it until I see it." Katie jumped to her feet before reaching out a hand to help Oliver up.

"Shall we go again, or are you tired of being beat up by a girl." Oliver took her hand and let her help him up.

"I think my ego has taken enough hits for one day." Oliver sighed walking over to grab his bottle of water. "Plus Felicity and John will be here soon to discuss out next move." he tossed her a bottle of water which she caught. "And your first day as an official member of the team."

"You know Felicity is going to throw a fit after finding out she missed this?"

"Well I won't say anything if you don't." Oliver replied. Katie just shook her head before walking over to her phone.

"Shit." she muttered before grabbing her bag. "I'm going to be so late."

"Late for what?"

"I'm meeting with Detective Lance today to go over his findings from my things." the moment Katie said, Oliver realized that he forgot that it was happening today.

"I can't believe I forgot. Uh, maybe I can reschedule with Felicity and Diggle-"

"Oliver, this is your mother, you're not rescheduling anything.I'm going to the police station to talk to a man who doesn't have a sliver of evidence to convict me of anything."

"That still doesn't mean he won't try."

"All he has is the law. And according to the law he has nothing. He has no choice but to move on."

"Well how are you even going to get there?" As if on cue, the back door opened and in walked Bruce. "Seriously?" Bruce looked between the sweat covered pair, before removing his sunglasses.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked and Oliver just shook his head before walking away. Bruce turned to Katie. "Am I early because you don't look ready Robins."

"Just give me ten minutes!" Katie called before turning and practically running to the bathroom for a quick shower.

"You know everyday I'm more surprised that you're still here." Oliver said glancing over to the man. "Isn't your city missing it's Batman."

"For the moment Gotham is quiet. Something about a guy in a bat suit scares the criminals. Who knew?" Bruce strolled over looking down to the mat and sighed. "You sparred with her didn't you?" Oliver didn't answer, mostly because he felt the longer he conversed with the man, the more annoyed it made him. "Big mistake. She's really good."

"You know from experience?" Oliver asked and Bruce let out a deep sigh. "You know things don't you?"

"I know a lot of things, Oliver. You got to be more specific."

"About her and where she was, what happened to her. You know, don't you?"

"I know what she chose to share, but she still has some of it locked up inside of her."

"But you know more than me." Oliver said angrily turning to the man. "How do you get to know more than me." It was the look in Oliver's eyes that Bruce recognized. It was the same look he himself got when he found out about Rachel's recent relationship with Harvey Dent.

"You're jealous." Bruce remarked with a slight tilt of his head. He shakes his head because he thought these feeling between the two were one sided, but apparently they're not. "Of course you're jealous."

"You know what screw you." Oliver turned and began walking away.

"You not knowing is more about her then it is about you!" Bruce called and Oliver stopped walking and turned back to him. "Me knowing was just pure luck."

"And what does that mean?"

"Not my story to tell Oliver. When she's ready she will tell you, until then I think there's something me and you need to discuss." With that Bruce took few steps toward the man, finding that they needed the see each other's eyes when this was said. They needed to know this was important and should be taken very seriously.

"Oh, yeah? What is that?"

"You're a very confusing person, you know that? You say one thing and then you do another. Especially when it comes to her. This confusion is getting to her. It's throwing off her focus and right now she needs her focus."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that if you want her, then you should go all in and not string her along. But this guy who stays in her house and who steals quick glances when she's not looking, but never does anything else. It's confusing, and if you're not careful that confusion will hurt her." Bruce took another step, the distance between the two men becoming dangerously narrow. "If you hurt her again then I get angry. Me angry is not something you need in your life. Trust me. So do everyone a favor and either go all in or stop stringing her long. This isn't high school anymore Oliver, you're adults, so either take that step forward or step all the way back." the door to the bathroom opened, and Bruce took a quick step back as both men turned to see Katie now changed.

Katie walked over to the two men, smoothing her wet hair back into a ponytail, unable to miss the tension that seemed to be in the room.

"Why do I always get the feeling an astronomical amount of threats are passed in the short moments you two are left alone?"

"What?" Bruce asked with a smile as he slipped on his sunglasses. "Oliver and I are practically best friends." he flashed a smile to Oliver who didn't return it. "I'm growing on him. I can feel it."

"Alright Mr. Feels, lets go. I wouldn't want to keep the detective waiting." Katie replied turning to Oliver. "Call me if you need anything alright?"

"You too." Oliver said about to reach out to her, but he stops himself. Something that had become so second nature to him, he was now hesitating because of Bruce's words. He sent a glare over to the man. "If you run into any trouble don't hesitate to leave him."

"That hurt" Bruce said tapping a hand over his heart before turning and heading for the stairs.

"You alright?" Katie asked noticing how tense he seemed all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I'm-" Oliver smiled with a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Come back here when you're done." Katie narrowed her eyes at him for a moment as if she didn't believe him, but she decided to let it go.

"Alright." she said simply before turning and following Bruce toward the door. She glanced over her shoulder one final time before actually leaving, and Oliver sent her a smile he hope reassured her, but his friend usually saw right through him. Sometimes anyway.

Oliver just stood in the middle of the foundry for a few moments after she left. He couldn't help but replay the man's words and wonder if he was right. Oliver admitted that he loved her, but he wasn't sure if he could go beyond that. He was still unsure how he could manage living two separate lives, and he was afraid that he would hurt her. The last thing in this world he wanted to do was hurt...her. Maybe Bruce was right. Maybe him being this close was what would hurt her inevitably.

Katie sat staring out the window of Bruce's car silently as the man drove. Bruce would look over to her ever so often seeing a deep look of contemplation on the woman's face.

"You're thinking very loudly over there Robins" Bruce said.

"What did you say to him?" Katie asked turning to Bruce who turned back to face the road, verifying her suspicions. "You said something to him. Something that changed something. What was it?"

"What's stopping him now?" Bruce asked and Katie's brow furrowed at the question. He actually knew the answer, but he wanted her to get there on her own."There isn't a high school, or clicks for him to hide behind."Katie turned away from him to stare back out the window. "I don't want to see you hurt again." the car ride once again fell into silence.

"I never told him." Katie said suddenly after a while. She kept her eyes out the window. "Sure anyone who saw me, saw what I did for him probably knew that I liked him, but I never said anything." she took a deep breath and turned to Bruce. "I wasn't just hurt because he never did anything about it. I was hurt because neither did I." she turned back to look out the window.

"So do you still like him?"

"What are you doing Bruce?"

"I'm trying to help you" Bruce replied seriously and Katie let out a deep sigh as she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the seat. "He's living in your house, and you're attached at the hip practically. If you're not careful-"

"It's too late for that." Katie interrupted with a shake of her head. "This thing you're worried about that will happen, it's too late for that. I wish I could stop feeling what I'm feeling or that somehow something will change and I won't have those feelings, but it hasn't happened yet." she turned to Bruce. "At the moment I'm fine with where we are and I think you should maybe stay out of it."

"You're going to get burned Robins. Oliver and I may not get along, but I understand him. I understand how being who we are doesn't really allow for the other stuff." he glanced over to Katie. "He's not hiding behind the popularity or an image anymore, he's hiding behind a hood and that's not going away."

"I'm a big girl now Wayne, so how about you just let me handle my life." Katie replied coldly not even sparing a glance in his direction. She didn't want to hear that small ounce of hope that one day she would have the one thing she always wanted was pointless. The hope helped her breathe, it helped her wake up in the morning. Until she realized otherwise, then she would hold onto it. "When I need help in that part of my life, I will ask for it."

"Whatever you say Robins." the man muttered and soon the car once again fell into silence. This silence a little more tension filled then before.

When they arrived at the police station, Katie stood up a little straighter hoping the appearance of innocence would help the detective's perception. They were about to enter the squad room, just as Tommy walked out and Katie stopped.

"Hey." she greeted. It had been a while since she saw the man. He'd been avoiding her since that day at the bar and she didn't blame him. She actually understood, which is why she didn't push him.

"Hey." Tommy greeted with a nod before moving around her toward the elevator.

"I'm sorry!" Katie called, her voice loud but the buzzing station barely noticed. Tommy stopped just as he was about to push the button before turning to her. "I really am." he looked at her for a moment, a hard look of contemplation on his face before he walked over to her. Bruce decided to step away, for at least the illusion of privacy even though he was still close by.

"Tell me the truth." four words were so much and Katie doesn't even think she can do it.

"The only truth I can tell you is that those people you saw in that bathroom were trying to kill me, and I fought back."

"How? Where did you learn all of this? Is Doctor Without Boarders also offering self defense classes?"

"No." Katie said looking to him serious. "I was stationed in Bosnia, which was being ravaged by war, things happened-"

"What things?" Katie dropped her eyes from him and began backing away.

"I learned how to survive." she brought her eyes back to his and gave him a sharp nod. "That's what you saw." Tommy glanced over to Bruce, before looking to Katie as if wanting to say something so badly. "I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing because despite everything, out of everyone in my life, you're the one I'm the least upset with, which is why I'm going to do you a favor." Tommy dropped his head and shook it slightly before looking back to Katie. "Stay away from Oliver" out of all the things she expected to hear from him that was the last thing. "You're only going end up getting the short end of the stick, trust me." Katie took a couple steps toward him, but he held up a hand to stop her. "Nothing ever changes. Everyone likes him, he has the great family and he gets the girl." he let out a bitter laugh. "My girl."

"Tommy-" Katie took another step but the man just shook his head as the elevator doors slid open behind him. He turned, sifting through the mob of people exiting before stepping on. Katie walked to stop him, but the doors were already closing. She let out a deep sigh before looking over to Bruce whose thoughts were written all over his face. "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." Bruce replied as he followed behind Katie into the squad room.

Oliver sat as he listened to both Felicity and John tell him the exact same thing. After weeks of monitoring his mother's activity, her phones, everything there was nothing that connected her to some plot with Malcolm Merlyn. He was going to finally talk to her, honestly and not as anyone else but her son. Everything would've gone without hitch, but he was stopped by Laurel on his way out of the club and she was saying things that he definitely wasn't expecting.

"Maybe I'm finally ready to admit that that I still have feelings for you, too."

"Nothing's changed" Oliver said instinctively unsure where this was coming from. When she came to the hospital and told him that Tommy had broken up with her because he seems to believe that she and Oliver belonged together he wasn't really sure how he was supposed to react. Laurel Lance was a big part of his life once upon a time , and he could truly say that he loved her, that a part of him would always love her. But it always seemed to be a part, not all of him. With her something seemed missing, something he ignored because he was Oliver Queen and she was the most beautiful girl in school. They made sense. And once upon a time, that's how Oliver made his decisions in life. "My life hasn't changed. I haven't changed." for some reason those words that had just came out of his mouth struck a cord. He was actually afraid of those words, because he so badly didn't want them to be true simply because the old Oliver didn't get the girl. The girl he wants anyways, and has always wanted. "I got to go. Walter's coming home." and so he turned and walked away from what once made sense.

Katie sat once again in the room she figured was where interrogations were held. Bruce was told to wait out in the waiting area, while she waited in that room. After what seemed like forever, the door pushed open and in walked Detective Lance, and the moment she saw him Katie knew something was different. He tossed a folder onto the table and took the seat across from her, letting out an exhausted sigh as he did. He flipped it open and kept his eyes down before speaking.

"Doctor, my people have examined every weapon you collected numerous times and none of it was a match for any crimes scenes in our database. Everything shall be returned into your custody within the next two business days. ." the rambled off speech lacked the detective's usual confidence and Katie tilted her head in confusion. "We will no longer pursue you as a suspect unless we have reasonable cause."

"What is it?" Katie asked and he lifted his eyes to meet hers for the first time since entering the room. "What's wrong?"

"I have a little more information on the people who were in that bathroom. Turns out them dying made this world a better place." he shook his head. "And I've been told that finding the person who did that wouldn't be the true justice."

"You don't believe that."

"No I don't, but I'm not the one who makes the decisions. I have however been reassigned another case that I may need your help on." that was yet another thing Katie didn't expect to hear today. Lance shuffled around some papers in the folder before pulling out a crime scene photo and sliding in front of Katie. "Do you recognize the man in this photo?" Katie dropped her eyes to the picture for only a second before turning away.

"Yeah, his name is Michael Trent, he was my father's treating physician. I hadn't heard anything from him since my father's death."

"Michael Trent was found in his apartment decomposing with a bullet in his head. His neighbors complained about the smell, and I guess it was lucky for him." Katie looked back over to the man with a disgusted look. "Lucky that he gets to have a decent burial." Katie's eyes once again drop to the photo in front of her and her stomach churns at the sight of the man she thought she once knew now looking completely unrecognizable.

"How can I help you with this?"

"While investigating the circumstances that surrounded the doctor's death we looked into every detail we could find on him and something stuck out." Lance pulled out another sheet of paper and slid it in front of her and Katie once looked down. "That's a copy of Trent's bank statement showing a very large sum of money deposited into his account the day after your father was pronounced dead." Quentin watched as Katie closed her eyes and dropped her head at his words. "Hey doc." she didn't say anything or even acknowledge that she'd heard him. "Doc?" he was about to go over to her, when her eyes opened and she lifted them to meet his.

"Did you find the origin of the deposit?"

"No, it's from some corporation that doesn't exist." Quentin said and without another word spoken, Katie stood to her feet and headed for the door. He quickly jumped to his feet to follow after her. She opened the door, but he reached forward and slammed it closed. " I am going to take a wild guess that all of this is new to you. I can also tell that from the way you were trying to get out of here, that you know something."

"I don't know anything." Katie said not meeting the man's gaze. "You just told me that the man I trusted to save my father was most likely the reason he's dead, that he is now dead and I'm stuck in a very dark place where I have no answers for any of it."

"If you know something-"

"If I know something, I'm sure at some point so will you." Katie pulled open the door, and stormed out. Bruce jumped to his feet to catch up to her.

"Nice chat?"

"I'm going to kill Malcolm Merlyn." Katie spoke with such conviction, there was no doubt that she was serious. When they stepped onto the elevator, Bruce stepped in front of her, but she turned away from him.

"What happened?"

"He paid Mike to kill my father, and when he realized Mike was going to get caught he killed him too. I'm just going to complete the circle and put a couple of bullets in him."

"And what about the Undertaking?" Bruce asked and Katie shook her. "We don't know nearly enough about this to just go around killing people. We don't know if him dead triggers this thing or expedites it." the doors behind him slide open and Katie rushes off without him. He stalks quickly catching her arm to stop her. "I know how angry you are right now, trust me."

"You got your revenge, I want mine."

"You're right, I got my revenge, but do you know what I didn't get. My parents back. Revenge doesn't change a damn thing, it's what you choose to do that will."

"That was very noble of you Bruce, but I have not gotten to that level of nobility. That son of bitch killed my father and then tried to have me killed. I am going to end him and if you get in my way, then-" she dropped her eyes from his, because that was that darkness inside of her talking. It scared her sometimes, because it did not allow for things to be obstacles. "Don't get in my way." and with that she ran out of the police station. Bruce went to follow her, but by the time he ran outside, she'd disappeared into the bustling city." With a shake of his head, Bruce pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the one number he really didn't want to dial in this moment, but it would seem he had no other choice.

_"Bruce, now's not a good time."_

"Well that's going around" Bruce said letting his eyes scan down the street hoping to catch a glimpse of her. "Robins just got some news that Malcolm may have had her father killed and now she's out for blood. I'm going to hope that with her disappearing so often, you've finally tacked a tracking device on her." Oliver didn't say anything for a moment and Bruce thought he may have hung up. "Oliver?"

" _I will take care of it."_ and with that Oliver did hang up the phone.

Katie got into a cab, gave the driver her intended destination and just waited to arrive. She sat in the back of the car, her foot tapping nervously, and her eyes blankly staring out the window as her mind does the real traveling.

" _You continue to amaze me" Ra's voice said around her. Katie was completely exhausted as she laid on the floor of her new, bare cell. She didn't have the strength to move, and he didn't seem to be in a mood to making her. "You know ever since the day you arrived I've been expecting you to beg me to let you go, but you continue to fight." Her face was pressed against the floor, unable to move after her day with the animal. His feet stopped moving before bending over to see her face. "You know I think I may have underestimated you." a smile tugged on his lips. "That just opens up so many possibilities."_

When the cab finally stopped, Katie handed the driver a couple of bills before stepping out of the car and looking up to the tall sky scraper in front of her.

"Merlyn Global Group" Katie muttered only taking a single step before he phone rang. Despite every fiber in her body, she pulled her phone from her pocket, glancing down to the ID and letting out a sigh before bringing the phone to her ear. "I can't believe he called you."

_"And I can't believe you're about to just stroll into Malcolm's company and think you'll be able to kill him."_

Katie let her eyes scan around the area, because there was no way he would know that information unless he was here.

"How do you know where I am?" Katie asked not spotting the man.

_"It doesn't matter. You're not doing this. Grab a cab and come to the foundry."_

"Oliver, he-" her eyes looked up to the building in anger. "He took him from me when I still needed him."

"I know. And I know you're angry, but I also know you're smart. I know you know why killing Malcolm at this point is impossible. Not until we know what he's planning and how dangerous it could be. Get in a cab and come here to me and we can talk and-"

"I don't want to talk. I want to hurt him and I want it to be painful and I want to hear him scream"

"Malcolm Merlyn will get what's coming to him, trust me. Look just come to the foundry and cool off." Katie's eyes stared up to the building, very heavily debating if she should do what's smart or the stupid thing that will make her happy. She takes a deep breath and turned back to the street and raises her hand for a taxi. "You better be right."

_"I usually am."_

Katie walked into the foundry and immediately heard the girly giggle of Felicity Smoak. As she walked closer she found the source of the woman's laughter.

"No, I'm serious I fired someone, why can't I think of his name?" Bruce shook his head with a smirk. "You were at the top of the hiring list Ms. Smoak and somehow you slipped out of our fingers."

"Sure Mr. Wayne" Felicity said turning back to her computers. "I'm sure you tell that to all the girls."

"Are you two flirting?" Katie asked finally making her presence known. Both turned to see her staring with a perplexed look on her face as she stared between them. "Because I so do not approve of this love connection."

"Good thing I didn't ask for any approval." Bruce said before glancing over to Felicity. "Did you?" the woman simply shook her head with a very dewy eyed smile that only Felicity could give. "Well there you go. " Bruce turned to Katie. "Last time I saw you, you were out for blood. I guess Oliver Queen is a man with a silver tongue." Katie just rolled her eyes as she looked around. "He's not here." Felicity turned to Katie with a furrowed brow.

"You don't know, do you?" she asked and Katie took a couple of steps forward getting the feeling she's not going to like the next words out of the woman's mouth. "Oliver's plan to get his mother to talk was to just ask her, but in the case she wasn't forthcoming then he decided that he would let the hood have at it."

"The vigilante only gets people to talk by putting arrows in them and he won't do that to his mother."

"Right, which is why he has an even stupider plan." Felicity said quickly turning back to her monitors and placing a hand over her ear piece. "Yeah, I'm here. Did she talk?" Bruce and Katie turned to Felicity both wishing they were able to hear the conversation. "How is he?" Felicity glanced over to Katie with a very somber look. "Alright, I guess we'll see you when you get here."

"Will one of you tell me what the hell is going on here?!" Katie asked her heart seeming to beat faster as horrible thoughts passed through her mind.

"Oliver used himself to get his mother to talk. He faked a kidnapping, and he had John pretend to be the hood. John-" Katie held up a hand to stop the woman because she already understood the mechanics of the plan. John dressed up as the hood beats Oliver in front of his mother until she can't take seeing her son hurt and just talks.

"He's an idiot." Katie mutters before turning and stalking off.

"Felicity let me ask you something." Bruce mutters as the pair watch Katie head over to the medical supplies. "Robins and Oliver-"

"You see it too don't you?" Felicity asked turning to him. "You know at first I knew something was going on from the way Oliver would talk about her, but when you get them in the same room it's ridiculously obvious to everyone except them how they feel about each other." Felicity noticed the slight frown that came to Bruce's face. "Which isn't something you wanted to hear?" Bruce turned to her and sighed.

"I've known Robins a long time and that includes that period of time when Oliver Queen was just the jackass who took advantage of her" he looked back over to see now just standing with her back to them.

"He's not that guy anymore." Felicity said giving Bruce's arm a nudge with hers. "And he cares a lot about her. Hurting her is the last thing he would do."

Katie planted her hands on the side of the metal table, dropping her head and letting out a long exhausted sigh.

_Katie stood close behind her father as they waiting outside the Queen Mansion for someone to open the door. Katie pulled at the skirt of her dress, not liking the length of the skirt that stopped just short of her knees._

" _You look beautiful sweetie." Jacob said and Katie gave him a smiled before the door to finally opened, Moira Queen there to greet them with that familiar warm smile._

" _Jacob, Katherine, it's wonderful to see you, come in." Moira backed away to let them enter. Katie couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful the woman looked in her red, sparkling dressed, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders flawlessly. "I believe Robert and the other stiffs are in the study Jacob." Jacob chuckled as he placed a kiss to Moira's cheek. "I'll show Katherine to the rest of the party."_

" _Thank you Moira." Jacob said before turning to his daughter and giving her a wink before heading to the stairs._

" _The others are this way-" Moira started walking but stopped once she noticed the girl behind her not moving. She turned to see Katie still standing in front of the door as if at any moment she would turn and run. The woman smiled before walking back over to the girl, warm smile in place. "I know you're not into social events like this, but you have to get out sometimes. How else are you going to make any friends? C'mon." Moira grabbed Katie's arm and tugged her along gently. They bypassed the older crowd that seemed to be in the house to the back yard which seemed to be filled with the familiar faces of her school mates. "Go, mingle. You might be surprised" Soon Moira left Katie's side, and to an extent left her to the wolves. This wasn't the first time Katie had been around this crowd. They were her high school comrades who had taken to calling her the most annoying nickname in the world._

" _Hey, Twinkie!" some guy said passing her. Katie rolled her eyes about to turn and head back in the house to hide somewhere, when she bumped into someone. Strong hands grabbed her waist to steady her._

" _I'm sorry, I'm-" Katie stopped when her eyes met the familiar face of Oliver Queen. "Oh it's you." Katie glanced down to his hands that were still on her waist, which he seemed to notice as well and quickly removed them before stepping away._

" _I thought you weren't coming." Oliver said taking a sip of punch that Tommy had already spiked._

" _My dad made me. Said something about me getting out of the house and hanging with people my own age." she let out an exaggerated sigh as she let her eyes comb over the crowd. "He can't seem to grasp the fact that no one here likes me."_

" _That's no true." Oliver said nudging her arm and Katie looked over to him with a slight smile. "You look nice by the way."_

" _Oh shut up." Katie said turning away from him and hoping her cheeks weren't revealing her true feelings about the compliment. "I can't believe it's going to be a new year."_

" _Any resolutions?" Oliver asked and Katie let out a laugh._

" _Probably plan on telling my dad that I don't plan on going to business school." Katie said with a shrug._

" _Good for you." Oliver said leaning in slightly closer to her, their arms practically touching. "I don't think he's going to overreact the way you think. He's going to be happy that you want to be a doctor like your mom." Katie met Oliver's eyes and couldn't help but smile a little bit wider._

" _Well look what we have here!" a voice yelled and both turned to see a obviously intoxicated Tommy Merlyn staring between them. "Your legs don't look half bad in that dress Twinkster."_

" _Tommy don't." Oliver said walking over to try to pull to man away before even more bullshit came flying out of his mouth. Tommy simply pulled his arm from Oliver's grasp and stared at Katie with a smile._

_"You know I think it's bold of you to even show up at a party that absolutely no one wants you at." Oliver tried to pull him away again, but Tommy pulled away once again almost adamant about hurting her feelings. "I mean c'mon Twinkie, at this point in your life it's time to just realize where you rank on the totem pole of life. You're at the bottom, you're-" Tommy took a step toward her to which Oliver chose to now forcefully pull him away. "I was just talking!" Oliver shook his head before turning back to Katie and mouthing an 'I'm sorry' as he placed as much distance between her and his idiot of a friend._

John was the first to arrive, already changed from the vigilante gear. Everyone turned to him with practically the same expression.

"How far did it go?" Katie asked first and Diggle turned to her and sighed.

"Don't worry, I held back. He's still looks like Oliver Queen." John replied with a shake of her head. For some reason that didn't seem like enough.

When Oliver finally strolled through the door, Katie stood up straight and was about to rush to him. Every fiber in her body wanted to go to him and make sure he was ok, both physically and emotionally, but she stopped herself. She had to because if she didn't then everyone in this room would just know the feeling that were tearing her up inside.

"Oh my God." Felicity spoke as she stepped forward to look at his face that was covered with scrapes and bruises around his eye and jaw. "I thought you said you pulled your punches." she looked over to Diggle who shrugged.

"I did!" he replied looking back over to Oliver.

"I'm fine." Oliver said looking between them, before looking over his shoulder to Katie who stared back at him with a look that nearly broke him in half. Katie was always good with masking her feelings and making it seem like nothing fazed her, but as he looked at her now he could see that mask slipping. He could see the emotions playing slightly on her features and from what he could see, she was also worried about him. "I'm fine." he said once again just for her peace of mind. He turned back to Felicity. "I need you to dig up everything you can on Unidac Industries."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Bruce asked as they all moved with Felicity toward the computers. Well almost everyone. Katie chose to stay in her place on the other side of the foundry where her emotions seemed to be contained safely. She didn't seem to pay attention to what ever information he got from his mother, because well at the moment it didn't matter. It sounds terrible that she isn't as hell bent of finding out what Malcolm's plans are, but she only wants to make him pay. She didn't really need a reason. Katie caught bits and pieces of the plan, in order to hack Merlyn's systems, then Felicity needed to some how get inside.

"And how do you suggest we do that?" John asked when Oliver blurted out the idea. His eyes traveled to an old Belly Burger bag that sat on the table and so an idea was formed. Felicity would pose as a delivery woman, while John got in through security.

"Bruce can get Malcolm out of the way." Katie said suddenly and they all turned to her. "They tossed the idea of lunch the last time they were together and I'm sure Bruce could use the opportunity to try and get more information from Malcolm himself."

"It's worth a shot." Bruce said with a nod before turning to Oliver. "If that's alright with you. I know this is your city and all-"

"Stop talking." Oliver said with obvious annoyance.

"I have a friend at Big Belly who could probably help me fool some people." Felicity said with a shrug.

"And I have some contacts that could get me into Meryln's security." John added. And so everyone was off to prepare for their part of the plan. Everyone but Katie and Oliver who remained in the foundry, for a moment just standing in silence.

"So I guess this is where my part of the team comes in, huh." Katie said nudging her head for him to come over as she pulled out a chair for him to sit. "I get to clean you up after your stupid plan."

"The plan worked." Oliver replied taking the seat even though he really was fine. He knew this was more about her believing it, so he just decided to go with it.

"Stupid plans work sometimes." Katie said moving to stand in front of him, her hands moving to gently cup his face. Her fingers slid carefully along his skin trying to feel for any broken bones. Oliver had to concentrate extra hard to not shutter under her touch.

"I needed answers." he continued hoping the conversation could help as a distraction.

"But you got more than that." Katie replied. "This is all too close to you. Your mother and your best friend's father."

"I'm fine." Oliver said turning away, but Katie's hands nudged his eyes back to her. Her hands rested on the sides of his face no longer in search of injuries, but just hoping for comfort.

"You're not. I know you're not, but I won't push you. I don't have the right to do that, I know that but the world spins a little smoother when at least one of us isn't self destructing." Oliver placed a hand over her’s and stood to his feet, now towering over her. it was probably a mistake, but it wasn't one he seemed too interested in stopping. "You need to be strong and you need to be smart because you have been given the unfortunate task of being the person I lean on when I feel like imploding."

"It's not an unfortunate task." Oliver whispers as forces beyond his comprehension seemed to pull them closer. His hand went to the back of her neck and pulled her closer to him. His head was screaming at him to stop this, to just stop it before it went too far. That voice in his head didn't seem to quite make it to the rest of his body because before he knew what was happening, his lips found hers in a kiss that seemed to be filled with an unquenchable hunger. His other hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her as close as possible to him.

In this moment, everything inside of Katie, the memories, the pain, the sadness, it all melted away when his lips melded against hers in a way that made everything around this disappear. Her arms snaked around his neck , her fingers sliding through the back of his short hair. Suddenly things intensified, and months, maybe even years of emotions and longing seemed to pour out of them. They weren't thinking, just doing and that's when Oliver's hands slid underneath the back of her thighs, lifting her from the floor quickly before sitting her on the metal slab behind them. Katie's legs wrapped around Oliver's waist, bringing him that much closer. Her hand slips underneath his shirt, her fingers sliding over his bare skin, causing a groan to escape his lips into hers. Oliver's hand mindlessly slid up Katie's thigh in a direction that would only take this moment to a different level. A moan escape's Katie's lips that seems to only seemed to encourage Oliver to keep going.

They needed to breathe, and despite the needs of their body, that seemed to be the one thing that seemed to be taking priority. That kiss lasted until the last possible moment, before they broke apart. The moment their lips separated, everything flooded back at once. Their lives and who they were and what this moment could mean. It seemed to hit Oliver first, and before Katie knew what was happening, the man had taken a couple of steps back to place some distance between them.

"I'm sorry." he muttered turning away from her. Katie looked at him with wide eyes because after that kiss, an apology was the last thing she wanted to hear. When he looked at her and saw that look in his eyes, he instantly regretted letting those be the first words out of his mouth.

"What's happening?" Katie asked the question more to herself then the man in front of her. She thought she was over this, but each day she spends in Starling, each day she spends with Oliver, she's proven wrong. "Is this something?" she met his eyes once again, that question she needed him to answer. "Can this be something?" Oliver looked at her for a long moment, that question playing in his head as the answer he wants to say is on the tip of his tongue.

"I don't want to lose you." he chose to say, a truth he'd acknowledged a long time ago. "I can't lose you and if this—" he let out a shaky breath as words came out of his mouth that he wished would just stop. "I don't want to hurt you. I did that, a long time ago and I can't do that again." he watched as she turned away, her hands sliding through her hair to push it from her face. Katie hopped from the table, and searched around for her jacket before spotting it on a nearby table. Once it was in hand, she rushed toward the door, but Oliver moved to block her not wanting to leave it like this.

"You're still afraid." Katie said meeting his eyes that seemed to be intensely focused on her at the moment. "You were afraid then and you're afraid now and I could never figure out why." Katie dropped her head, closing her eyes and let a deep breath escape her lungs. "I still don't. But if you're fine with us just being Liver and Twinkie, then I will be fine with it." Katie turned but stopped. "You should go home and keep an eye on your mother in case Malcolm somehow catches wind that she talked." and with that she turned and walked away.

Oliver stood there, every fiber in his body telling him to go after her and tell her that he wanted more and yet he didn't move. It was that little voice in his head that seemed to be getting louder ever since his lips parted from hers. It was telling him that she was right, that he was afraid. He was afraid that one day she would realize the one thing he knew since the day he admitted that he definitely had non-friend like feelings for her all those years ago. She deserved so much more than him. And so he would let her go to find it...because that is what made sense.

Or at least that's what hell tells himself.


	22. A Divided Home

**Chapter 22**

**A Divided Home**

_**"** The prospect of going home is very appealing."_

_-David Ginola_

* * *

They had a plan. It wasn't a great plan, but at the moment it would just have to do. It took a couple of days to get everything together, and in those days Oliver didn't go see Katie. His usual updates on her status were given by Felicity who must've known something happened because she'd routinely checked in with Katie to see how she was doing.

It was the day before they were to go through with hacking Malcolm's computer, John had left to make sure his new job as a security guard was all straight, and Bruce had went back to his hotel. Felicity was packing up preparing to leave when she turned to Oliver who seemed to be staring off.

"So can I ask now what happened?" Felicity asked and Oliver turned to her with a look of confusion. "With Twinkie, I figure something must've happen because the two of you have been avoiding each other like the plague." Oliver turned away and Felicity knew whatever it was, it must be big. "She seems sad." that brought his attention back to her. "She'd probably kill me for saying this, but she does. I mean she laughs and she smiles at the right moments, but when she thinks I'm not paying attention her eyes are different. Just like yours."

"It's nothing, just-" Oliver didn't even know how to explain what was happening with him and Katie. Mainly because he was trying to understand it himself. "It was getting confusing between us and I think it's best if we just take some time."

"Confusing?" Felicity asked sitting down her bag with a shake of her head. Countless times, John told her to just stay out of it, but these two were just so frustrating. "Why don't I believe that?" she walked over to Oliver. "Why do I think that things were getting so clear that it all became a little too much? You know I don't think I've seen you afraid of something so much that you wouldn't even try." Oliver once again turned and stepped away slightly. "I don't know if you've admitted this to yourself, but as your friend I feel I am obligated to tell you that you are completely, head over heels, stupid in love with Katherine Robins." Oliver spun around to see the smile on the woman's face. That was the first time he heard those words out loud. Now it seemed that it was out and in the air it was official that he couldn't hide from it anymore. "And I think you knew that already. Why haven't you told her?"

"It's-" Oliver shook his head with a sigh. "It's more difficult then that."

"Really? It's just three words. Oh, my mom taught me this trick, just say olive juice really fast and-"

"Felicity," Oliver hissed and Felicity stared at him in confusion. "It's not that simple. There are things to take into consideration."

"What things, you love her, she clearly loves you. What else is there?"

"There's the fact that I wear a hood and shoot bad guys at night and and then there's the fact that she's still hiding what happened to her from me. Where we are now is fine. It's simple and it works."

"You call this working?" Felicity asked and Oliver turned away from her. She had a way of revealing the things he tried to ignore which he didn't like all the time. "Oliver you're my friend and I care about what happens to you and I see the look in your eyes when you look at her. Whether you want it to or not, those feelings aren't just going to disappear. And pretending they're not there is impossible."

"I have to." Oliver said the conviction in his voice not as strong as he believed.

"Why?"

"Because I can't have both. I can't be who I need to be to protect this city and be with her at the same time. It just won't work."

"Why not?"

"Because she won't let it." Oliver turned to Felicity, with a look she couldn't describe. It was confusion, but there was something more. "And she doesn't even know she does it. The truth is that she doesn't even do anything, it's just her. A smile or a laugh and the drive to go out there and serve justice just doesn't matter." Oliver shook his head and his face hardened at the thoughts all of a sudden. "I can't allow that to happen." And that was all he had to say before he turned and walked out.

The next day, Bruce felt his part of this plan was the hardest. Sure John had to pretend to be a security guard and get rid of his partner so Felicity could get in undetected. And yeah Felicity had to pretend to be a delivery girl while sneaking into a highly protected facility without getting caught. And Oliver had to make sure he was there in case things went south, but Bruce had the unfortunate pleasure of sitting across from a man he was sure he wouldn't regret killing.

"Bruce, I have to tell you that I was surprised to get your call." Malcolm said taking a sip of water with that annoying smile on his face.

"Yeah, well I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now, and I figured that since I was in town that now was as good a time as any."

"You know I've been meaning to ask, why are you in town? You know I was worried you were sweeping into town to take money out of our pockets like the Wayne's have done for years." he added a chuckle to make the comment seem light, but Bruce knew better. He knew he wasn't Malcolm's favorite person either, he knew that their families never really got along and as the years progressed he started to realize why.

"No, I heard about the merger and thought I would come in to talk to Katherine. You know give her a little guidance in the business world."

"You didn't want her to sign the contract with QC? And here I was thinking you were Robert's golden boy. You know I think I remember him saying once how he wished Oliver had just an ounce of the drive you have. Did something change?"

"Robert died his company isn't what it used to be. C'mon you live here Mal-" Bruce slipped in the name knowing Malcolm hated it. "You know how sneaking in and getting to the head isn't as hard as it used to be. A little money, a few threats and anyone will do whatever you want." Malcolm smirked dropping his head with a shake of his head. "I just wanted Robins to be educated before she did something she couldn't take back."

"You're a good friend." Malcolm replied once again meeting the man's gaze. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well before Jacob became ill, he sent me a letter." For some reason that made him chuckle. "Sorry, it's just Jacob was one of the few people I knew who still hand wrote letters. Do you remember he used to say-"

"You can't tell how someone feels from emails or typed letter. When it's hand written you know the type of person you're dealing with." Malcolm nodded remembering hearing the words often.

"Yeah, well he wrote me a letter about an encounter the two of you had." Bruce said and he noticed how the man across from him stiffened slightly. Malcolm turned away for a moment and Bruce could tell that the memory of that day had came back to him. "He told me about Grace and-"

"So you want to do this now? Here?" Malcolm asked, the hostility in his voice growing. "Is this what this is about?" Malcolm tossed up a hand for the bill, which the waiter brought over quickly. "Sorry Bruce, but that is one trip down memory lane I'm not going to take. Definitely not with you." Malcolm pulled a few bills from his wallet and placed them on top of the check before standing to his feet. "Grace Robins was a good woman, and that's what she is remembered by, changing that would be cruel and-"

"And it would show the world who you really are Malcolm. It would also show the world why we're missing such a good woman." Bruce said, his voice growing dangerously low as he stood to his feet. "You want to know why I'm here? I'm here because I know the extent that Malcolm Merlyn will go to be on top."

"Then you should know that no one gets in my way on that trip to the top Bruce." Malcolm leaned in a little closer, and Bruce almost prayed the man made a move so he could do the one thing he'd been itching to do since the man walked through the door. "I'm sure Gotham is missing it's top dog. Maybe you should get home. Starling is different since you were last here. More dangerous. If you're not careful, you might not make it back."

"Well I think I'll take my chances, I mean I survived my city being infested with a mind altering toxin, I'm sure I can handle whatever Starling has to throw at me."

"I guess we will find out then." Malcolm replied with a nod before he turned and headed out the door, his personal security not far behind. Bruce shook his head before pulling out his phone to let the other's know that Malcolm was on his way back. Just seconds after the message was sent, Felicity replied that they were done, and were heading back to the foundry and for him to meet them there.

"Let's see what you're hiding Malcolm." Bruce muttered to himself before he stood to his feet and headed out as well.

He walked outside and nodded for the valet to bring his car around. It was the sound of a pained grunt that caught his attention. Bruce thought for sure that he was hearing things, but then he heard it again and so naturally he went to find it's source. He ended up in the alley beside the restaurant where he spotted someone lying on the ground. From his spot all he saw was a pair of legs from behind a dumpster. Bruce quickly ran to check it out, a couple of valet following behind him. He found a man in a very nice black suit lying on the ground, blood coming from his head as he seamlessly comes back to consciousness.

"Call nine one one!" Bruce ordered someone behind him. He heard someone run off and figured they were going to get help. Bruce looked back down the man who had began trying to get up. "Hey, take it easy. Help is on the way, but I think you shouldn't move until we know you're alright."

"I have to go." the man replied fear in his voice. "I think my boss is in danger."

"Alright, who's your boss, maybe I can call someone to check in on them." Bruce said taking out his cell phone.

"It's Malcolm Merlyn." the man said and Bruce lifted his eyes from his phone. "Some crazy chick knocked me in the back of my head and took my keys. I have to make sure my boss is alright or I'm dead."

"I'm sure he's fine." Bruce said standing to his feet. "This woman, did you get a look at her?"

"No, her face was covered like a ninja or something." the man replied with a shake of his head. "She told me that my boss was a bad man who needed to be taught a lesson before she just knocked me out. I think I heard her say something about ice and some aprin and I'd feel better in the morning." the man met Bruce's eyes. "Are you going to call my boss?"

"Uh, yeah." Bruce said already dialing when he hears the siren nearing. "Don't worry you're going to be alright." Bruce turned and began walking from the alley as he brought the phone to his ear.

 _"What do you want Bruce?"_ Came Oliver Queen's annoyed voice. _"I thought Felicity texted you?"_

"She did, and I was on my way back to meet up with you guys when I got some pretty interesting news."

_"What?"_

"Malcolm Merlyn's been kidnapped."

 _"What? By who?"_ Oliver asked and Bruce just let out a groan that answered the question. _"You're kidding me. Are you sure?"_

"His driver said he was knocked out by some woman who gave him some medical advice about how to get over the shot she took at him. So yeah I'm pretty sure Robins is striking out on her own on this one."

_"If something happens to Malcolm before we know who this dark archer is—"_

"Then this Undertaking could be pushed into overdrive, yeah I got that. Look she took his car, so maybe Felicity could track it."

" _Yeah, right."_

"Have her send me the location and I'll find her and talk some sense into her."

" _No, I'll go. You just get back here—"_

"You think you going to her right now is a good idea. I mean whatever happened between you two seemed pretty big if she was avoiding you. Right now she needs someone who she trusts—"

" _No, right now she needs someone who can pull her back from the darkness that's eating away at her."_

"And you think you can do that?"

" _Yeah, I can."_ Oliver replied before ending the call.

Oliver pulled his phone from his ear and turned to Felicity and Diggle who had already crowded around her computer to see what she'd gotten from the bug.

"Felicity, I need you to track Malcolm Merlyn's car." Oliver said gaining very confused looks from his friends.

"Did something happen we should be worried about?" Diggle asks watched as Oliver walks over to grab his jacket. "Oliver—"

"Katie kidnapped Malcolm and I'm afraid—" he let out a sigh with a shake of his head not wanting to believe that Katie would go that far, but he's seen the change in her. The things that she can do and he's not sure what she's capable of.

"But she knows that we still don't know where this dark archer is, or the risks that killing Malcolm now could do." Felicity replied and Oliver simply nodded.

"She just found out that the man whose been trying to kill her may be responsible for her father's death." John said folding his arms over his chest. "I don't think she's thinking about consequences right now." Felicity sighed before turning back to her computer and typing in a few keys before a location appeared.

"The GPS in Malcolm's car places him-"Felicity's brows rose as she looked at the location.

"What is it?" Oliver asked as he and John moved to stand beside the woman to look at the screen as well.

"Well according to this they're headed towards Golden Bluffs." Felicity said looking over to Oliver. "Tall cliff, very rough river, I mean she could just toss him—" Felicity noticed the darkening of Oliver's eyes and realized she probably wasn't helping. "I'm going to stop talking now, but you should go and stop her before she does something she regrets." Oliver nodded before turning and stalking off to grab the keys to his bike.

Katie stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down to the rough waters and imagined how easy it would be and yet she was hesitating. She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh air hoping for an ounce of clarity on the situation. Her mind just went back to the moment she probably did the most stupidest thing she'd ever done.

" _I shouldn't be here." It was the single thought that passed through Katie's head as she stood across the street from the restaurant where Bruce and Malcolm were having lunch. "Just go." her feet didn't move. They couldn't because deep down she knew what she had to do. Her eyes turned to the driver who stepped out of Malcolm's car and walked behind the restaurant, a pack of cigarettes in hand. And so plan began formulating. Katie began walking across the street as she brought her hood over her head, tightening the pull strings so only her eyes shown from the hood. This was a pretty risky thing to do during the day, but Katie couldn't see opportunities likes this happening in the future. She walked down the alley, reaching down and grabbing a glass bottle that was just lying on the ground. He didn't even turn when she was right behind him. In those last few seconds she hesitated, because this wasn't something she did. She didn't attack random people in alleys. Her mind drifted to her father and the fact that Malcolm had to pay and so she rose her hand and smashed the bottle on the back of the man's head. Before he could fall to the ground, Katie grabbed his arm quickly, before slowly easing him to the ground._

" _I'm sorry." she muttered to the man who had absolutely no idea what was going on. "Your boss is a bad man, and it's time someone taught him a lesson." she gently laid the man on the ground. "You'll be fine. Just take some asprin and put some ice on the bump and you won't feel a thing tomorrow." The man didn't say anything as he stared at Katie, before he just passed out. Katie let her eyes look down the alley to make sure the coast was still clear, before she reached into the man's pocket and grabbed the keys to the car and ran._

_When the valet gestured that Malcolm was coming out, Katie brought the car to door, and waited behind wheel. She heard him step inside the car, but she couldn't see him with the partition up._

" _I'm going back to the office Carl." Malcolm called and so Katie pulled off and he was none the wiser. The ride was silent after a while, until Malcolm noticed they weren’t heading back to his office. They turned down an unfamiliar street, which is when Malcolm became suspicious."Carl, what's—" Before he could finish the sentence, Katie pulled the car over with a jerk, before reaching into her bag and pulling out the tranquilizer gun she'd purchased earlier that day. She lowered the partition and turned the gun toward Malcolm who stared at her surprise. "Who are—" the words never made it out of his mouth before she pulled the trigger, and he was out._

Katie heard a branch snap behind her, and she quickly pulled out the tranq gun and spun around only to see Oliver standing there.

"What are you doing here?!" she asked angrily but dropping the gun to her side.

"What do you think I'm doing here?" Oliver asked her walking over to her. "Where's Malcolm?" Katie's eyes looked over to the car that was parked just a couple of feet away. Oliver walked over and peeked inside of the window to see Malcolm lying unconscious on the seat.

"Tranquilizer, he's still alive." Katie replied as Oliver turned to her. "At least until I don't need him anymore."

"You need to let him go." Oliver turned back to her and Katie just shook her head. "There's more at stake here, too much is at risk over revenge."

"This isn't revenge, this is justice!" Katie snapped turning to the car. "Out of everyone in this world, that's something you should understand." Oliver walked over to her, but she took a step back to keep distance between them. "Don't—"

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Don't apologize to me Oliver. I don't want an apology from you. I don't want anything from you other than you leaving so that bastard can finally get what's coming to him."

"And what happens if that device is activated the moment his friend the dark archer finds out he's dead. The Undertaking, this device, it's going to level the Glades and we can't let that happen." Katie growled turning away from him. "Trust me when I say I understand how much you're hurting right now, but it's not just you anymore, or your father. It's hundreds of lives that are on the line because of him. We can't risk their lives." Oliver took a step toward her, wanting nothing more than to touch her. He couldn't help the thought that if he could touch her, hug her then he would at least help ease some of the pain she was feeling. "We were taken from our home and we came back different. But not completely. I know you Twinkie. I know who you are and I know who you aren't. You're not a murderer and you're not a monster. And you're not the darkness that's inside of you."

Katie turned back to him and simply stared into his eyes for just a moment before she turned and tossed the gun over the cliff. When she turned back to Oliver she pulled the keys from her pocket and tossed them to him before stalking off past him through the trees. Oliver let out a relieved sigh before walking over to the car and opening the door. He looked down to Malcolm's unconscious body and couldn't help but feel just a little tempted to follow through on Katie's plan, but he had to believe that they would stop him and he would finally get the justice that he deserves. Oliver tosses the keys into the car before closing the door, and running off to catch up to Katie.

When Oliver pulled up in front of Katie's house, she jumped off quickly and headed for the door without a word.

"Wait." Oliver said, but she didn't stop. He jumped off his bike and ran to catch her before she could go inside the house. Grabbing her arm, Oliver stopped her from moving and so she turned to face him.

"I just want to go home. Just let me go home Oliver."

"Do you trust me?" Oliver asked suddenly and Katie let out a deep sigh as she turned her eyes away from his. "No, seriously, do you trust me?"

"Fine, yes I trust you. What's your point?"

"My point is that right now I'm promising you that Malcolm will not get away with this. I'm promising you that he doesn't get to hurt you and get away with it. I will make sure he gets what's coming to him."

"And trust me when I say that if you don't, I will." Katie countered before storming inside of her house, letting the door slam behind her.

Oliver arrived back of the foundry where he found Felicity still at here computer while John stood nearby. It was the new face that caught Oliver's eye. Bruce Wayne sat next to Felicity typing as well.

"Did you find her?" John asked seeing the man first. Felicity and Bruce both turned to him as he took off his jacket.

"Yeah, I was able to talk her down. She's at home." Oliver said with a noticeable look of both relief and disappointment. "Malcolm should be turning up soon."

"How is she?" Bruce asked and Oliver met the man's eyes and simply shook his head. Without another word being needed, Bruce stood to his feet. "I'm going to check on her." Bruce looked over to Felicity. "I'll be back to help sift through this later, alright?" Felicity nodded with a smiled before watching the man leave. Her eyes turned to Oliver who stood, staring blankly at his arrow case.

"Oliver?" Felicity spoke snapping him from his daze. "You alright?" Oliver cleared his throat with a nod. "Maybe you should've stayed with her."

"No, she doesn't want me to-" Oliver shook his head and sighed. "I'm here. Have you gotten anything?"

"No, but there's at least a terraflop of data to go through." Felicity sighed as she looked upon her computer. She looked over to Oliver who moved to stand beside her to look down to the screen. He had a look in his eyes. It looked like hope. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Oliver looked down to the screen for a moment and realized that this could it. This could be what he was working toward. "My father, he told me that he failed the city. Asked me to right his wrongs, but I never knew what he meant until now. It's the Undertaking." Oliver looked over to Diggle who like Felicity stared in confusion trying to figure out what he was talking about. "I promised myself that when I crossed all these names off the list, I'd be done, but taking down these people, it doesn't honor him. I was just treating the symptoms while the disease festered. I stop the Undertaking I wipe out the disease _."_

"What are you saying Oliver?" John asked hoping he isn't hearing what he think he's hearing. "You would hang up the hood." there was judgment in John's tone that Oliver didn't miss, and he definitely didn't need.

"Merlyn's plan is what I returned from the island to stop." Oliver said plainly and in that moment he made a decision. He grabbed his jacket suddenly and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" John asked.

"Out!" he called over his shoulder.

John and Felicity share a look of concern, because at the moment they had no idea what was going through Oliver's head.

When Oliver left the foundry, he found himself back outside of Katie's house. He sat on his bike frozen, unable to just go inside. The thought of a life without the hood seemed too good to be true and when he imagined it, he saw her. He saw that moment with them sitting on the couch watching some stupid tv show and her laughing that laugh that in itself made him smile. Oliver didn't know how badly he wanted that moment until the thought of it's possibility seemed to be dangling right in front of him. And yet he couldn't move. He couldn't go in that house, and take Katie in his arms and tell her that he loved her and that he wanted nothing more than to spend his every waking moment just showing her.

It was supposed to be easy. For some reason, those words passed through his head at that moment and he couldn't help but wonder why it wasn't. Then it hit him. It wasn't easy because it didn't make sense. Oliver wanted so badly to believe that a life with Katie could be perfect, but he wasn't ignorant to the fact that it would probably be impossible. He was given the key out of his hell and yet he isn't sure she could pull herself from her own. He's not sure what kind of life that could be. He's afraid that it would be a life that tears them apart and he doesn't think he could handle if that happens. When Oliver returned from the island, he wished he could have his life back and that never seemed like an option. Maybe now was the time he should just pick up from where he left off in hopes that everything could just go back to the way they were. And so Oliver cranked the engine of his bike and decided to go where things made sense...where they were simple.

Oliver stood outside a familiar door for about five minutes, just staring at the red paint. He could hear a voice of reason telling him to knock and just go inside, but there was another voice in his head, one that sounded suspiciously like Felicity telling him that he was lying to himself. That he was making excuses for his fears of finally taking a chance with someone he thinks he'd die if he lost. That voice was telling him that if he knocked on this door, that Katie would never forgive him and he would lose her.

Oliver let out a heavy sigh before shaking his head and turning to leave, but just as he did the door behind him opened.

"Oliver?" he turned to the face of the woman he once loved. He imagined a life with her would make perfect sense and it would be easy and that he could be happy. Soon that voice in his head got further and further away. Oliver smiled at the woman, and decided to let reason and logic guide him despite what his heart was telling him.

"Laurel, hey. Can I come in?" Laurel looked at him for a moment, before nodding and stepping aside to let him in. He didn't pay attention to the open window.

He should have paid attention to the open window.

Katie sat curled up on her couch, staring at the flickering flames of the fireplace. The day had not gone the way she'd plan and was sure how she felt about that. She close to getting what she wanted, but she felt that she was just that much closer to finally giving into the darkness that was brought out inside of her. Maybe that's why she was a bit relieved that Oliver showed up when he did. He saved her in that moment and he probably doesn't even realize it.

"Jacob always did have the good stuff." Bruce said walking in, carrying two glasses of wine, and a bottle under his arm. He took a seat on the opposite end of the couch that Katie laid, handing her glass before sitting the bottle down. "Do know what year this is?"

"Will that information help me get wasted any quicker?" Katie asked as she brought the glass to her lips.

"No."

"Well then how about you keep that little nugget of information to yourself." Katie took another sip before sitting her glass down and laying back down on the couch.

"What happened today?"

"I went to edge, but I didn't jump. I couldn't jump." a small smile formed on her lips as she looked at the dancing fire. "He wouldn't let me jump."

"So it's true." Bruce said and Katie glanced over to him. "You're in love with him." the man shook his head before bringing the wine glass to his lips and downing the contents before grabbing the bottle to pour himself more. "I would tell you how much I disapprove, the pointlessness of it, and there'd be a story about going down the same road and expecting a different outcome, then I'd probably tell you how it's actually shame on you if you're fooled twice." he looked over to Katie who didn't bat an eye at his words. "I would do all those things if I felt for a moment it would make a difference, but it won't , so I'm not."

"Thanks." Katie replied reaching forward to grab her glass. She was just about to take a sip when the doorbell suddenly rang. Katie moved to stand, but Bruce gestured for her to stay. "What?"

"Someone showing up at your door after you kidnap someone just throws up red flags." Bruce said standing to his feet. "I'll check it out." Katie shook her head before standing to her feet as well and walking out to see who was at the door. "Can I help you?" Once Katie stepped from the living room, she turned to see Tommy standing there at her door.

"Tommy?" something was wrong. She could tell from his face, and the way he was standing, something was wrong. "What is-"

"I racked my brain trying figure out what I wanted after I saw it. It wasn't even hard. I wanted to hurt him. I want to see that moment where his world crashes down and crumbles like he did mine today." Katie walked over to the man, still lost at what was happening. "You know I envied him. He had the name that everyone knew and loved, he had the loving family and he had the beautiful girlfriend." Katie saw the way he clenched his jaw after that statement.

"Tommy what's going on? What happened?"

"For once I had everything and it was because I had her and he couldn't let me have it. He just couldn't just let me have it. He took everything from me and I think I know how to do the same to him." Katie stared at Tommy waiting for him to just come out with it already. "For me to hurt him, I have to hurt you because you, you're the one thing in his life that he holds onto no matter what. I thought it was just some weird fascination he had with you, but it's more than that. I don't know what it is, but it's there."

"I think you should leave." Bruce said finally, reaching out to try to push him back, but Katie grabbed his arm and pushed him away instead. "Robins-" Katie kept her eyes on Tommy, her stomach twisting with nervousness as pieces started to fall in place. As the things he'd been hinting at started to make sense. Tommy reached inside the breast pocket of his suit and pulled out his phone, and with a single swipe he turned it to Katie whose eyes were hit with the sight of Oliver and Laurel wrapped in each in a kiss. Bruce's eyes looked to the phone, before turning to Katie whose expression was unreadable.

"This was taken an hour ago. I waited for him to leave, but he didn't. Maybe they're having a nice chat-" Katie cut her eyes to the man whose eyes were filled with the pain she refused to show. "Maybe they're catching up on old times." Tommy turned to phone so he could stare at the picture he's sure will be etched into brain for his entire life.

"Tommy?" Katie finally spoke and the man met her eyes. "I'm sorry." Tommy closed his eyes and dropped his head, and she could see that this was physically and emotionally taking a toll on him. "You should go home."

"I don't have a home." Tommy replied looking back up to her with a tear filled gaze. "She was my home and he took her away from me." he just shook his head before turning and walking away. Katie took a step to go after him, but Bruce caught her arm to stop him.

"There's absolutely nothing you can do to help him and you know it." Bruce spoke and she knew he was right. In that moment Katie wanted to scream, and to hit something, and to just let out every emotion that was pulling at her insides to get out. "Robins-"

"Give me a date, a time , and a location." Katie turned to Bruce and nodded before turning and heading for the stairs. "Just get me the hell out here Wayne."

 


	23. A Pierced Heart Still Beats

**Chapter 23**

**A Pierced Heart Still Beats**

_"I believe that two people are connected at the heart, and it doesn't matter what you do,_

_or who you are or where you live; there are no boundaries or_

_barriers if two people are destined to be together."_

_-Julia Roberts_

* * *

_Ever since Katie was young, love was not a word she chose to use often and there's a reason for that. She was fifteen and she was getting ready for school when she passed through the kitchen to grab her lunch. Her mother was sitting at the table, staring down to her coffee mug in a bit of a daze and Katie just stopped._

" _Mom?" the woman brought her eyes to her daughter and instinctively pulled a smile to her face. "You alright?"_

" _Of course I'm alright." Grace Robins said standing to her feet. Katie watched her mother closely, as if trying to figure if that was true or not, which was definitely hard with the woman. She had the unnatural gift of being able to hide how she was really feeling. Grace walked over and brought her arms around Katie in a hug, placing a single kiss to the girl's cheek. "I love you baby."_

" _I love you too mom." Katie replied just as she heard a few honks of a horn outside. "I have to go or dad is going to throw a fit." Grace held onto the girl for just a little while longer. "Mom?"_

" _Alright, fine." Grace sighed before releasing the girl. "Bye baby." the woman gave a wave as she watched the girl run out of the kitchen._

_That was the last time she saw her mother alive. When she returned home from school that day, she saw the police cars and the paramedic parked outside her house. She ran inside quickly to find her father sitting on the couch with his head in his hands._

" _Dad?" he quickly lifted his head and wiped away tears that were on his face. "What's wrong?"_

Since then love was not a word Katie chose to say if she could help it and she wonders if that's why she doesn't get her happy ending. She never stepped forward and said how she really felt and because of it, Oliver chose Laurel instead.

Katie sat in her basement surrounded by boxes that a couple of officers had brought early this morning that held her things. She looked at the boxes wondering if unpacking them would even make sense, since she didn't plan on being in Starling for too much longer. When Katie thought about home, she thought about Starling, and she thought about this house and her father and even today after everything, she thought about Oliver. And now she was going to leave. This time she didn't plan on returning. Katie was pulled from her thoughts by her vibrating phone and for a brief moment she felt nervous. Bruce had texted her earlier that he would call her when he was ready to head to Gotham, and since then she'd been impatiently waiting. When she reached over and grabbed her phone, she sighed looking down to her phone. It wasn't Bruce.

"What's up Smoak?"

 _"Is Oliver with you?"_ Felicity asked, anxiousness heavy in her voice.

"No he's not." Katie replied with a slight annoyance as she stood to her feet. "Maybe you should try Laurel, apparently they're close again. Felicity, I just can't do this today. I don't know where Oliver is, I don't care where Oliver and I'm hanging up now."

_"Wait, look, you seem upset and I'm sorry, but the last we heard of Oliver he was going after Malcolm and if he's not with you then something has to be wrong."_

"When?"

 _"Last night, I was able to find a possible location of the device Malcolm was going to use to level the glades, so Oliver went to finally bring Malcolm to justice and it's been hours later and we haven't heard anything from him._ "

Katie didn't say anything as she just stared at the wall, letting the woman's words and their implications sink in.

_"Katie?"_

"Alright, wait for my call." Katie replied before ending the call and running up the stairs. Katie ran until she reached her father's office before stalking over to a file cabinet that was in the far corner. She tried to pull it open, but it didn't even budge. "Key? Where's the key?" Katie searched the office for a moment, when a even better idea came to her. She walked over to her father's desk and felt underneath before her fingers touched cool metal. With a slight tug, Katie pulled the gun from it's hiding spot and looked at it for a moment. "Same hiding spot, huh dad? she shook her head before going back over to the filling cabinet and aiming the gun at the lock, before pulling the trigger. Once the lock was gone, Katie quickly pulled open the cabinet and began sifting through the files. "You were a smart guy, you kept very detailed records of the compet-" she found a file marked "Merlyn Global" and she quickly pulled it out, before dropping it on the desk and flipping it open. She found tax returns, and equity reports, and soon she found what she was looking for. "Properties." Katie slid her finger down the list of properties until she found the one that didn't seem to fit. It also was the only thing on the list with a question mark written beside it. "What the hell are you doing with an old paper factory." with a shake of her head Katie grabbed her phone and began heading for the door as she dialed Felicity.

"Felicity, tell John to come get me."

John Diggle as definitely in a position he was not prepared for. He sat behind the wheel of his car, as he and Katie looked up to the old building, no sign of life anywhere.

"You sure he's in there?" John asked glancing over to Katie whose eyes were going over the building.

"This is the only local property Malcolm owns that doesn't fit with his other businesses. This place has been under renovation for ten years. If that doesn't scream evil lair, I don't know what does."

"Look, I'll check it out and you-"

"Are coming with you." Katie replied before stepping out of the car, not giving the man a chance to argue.

"Shit." Diggle cursed before stepping out of the car, pulling out his gun as he ran to catch up to her. "Stay behind me." John whispers and Katie simply nodded as they reached the door. Diggle pulled open the door slowly, and spotted a man with his back to him. He looked over to Katie, and held out a hand for her to wait here before he quietly eased behind the man and knocked him out with the butt of his gun. "C'mon." Katie ran inside the large factory as her and Diggle stood for a moment trying to figure out where they should look first.

"There's more." Katie said, keeping her eyes and ears open.

"How can you tell?" Diggle asked, but Katie didn't say a word before heading off in a seamlessly random direction. Not knowing what else to do, John simply followed. They were walking down the dark, dank hall when they heard something up a head. Suddenly the sound of distant gunfire met their ears and both shared a look before bolting down the hall. They came to a sliding stop when another one of Malcolm's men ran from another hall meeting them. The moment his eyes met theirs, he turned his gun to them, but in one quick swing of her leg, Katie knocked the gun from his hand before tossing another kick to his gut, knocking him down. Just then two more men appeared from behind them. John turned his gun and fired a few shots causing the men to dip back behind the wall for cover. There was more gunfire further down the hall, and Katie turned trying to ignore the knots in her stomach.

"John go, I'll hold them off."

"I'm not leaving you here!" John snapped but Katie turned to him with a glare.

"Yes you are." She grabbed his arm and pushed him down the hall toward the sound of gunfire. "We came him for him, now go bring him back to me!" Katie reached behind her and pulled out her father's gun that she had tucked in her pants. John stood there for a moment and watched as she aimed the gun, and just as one of Malcolm's men poked out their head, she pulled the trigger hitting him right in the head. "If you're still behind me when I turn around, then I'm shooting you." It was this moment that John realized that the woman standing in front of him really could take care of herself, and so he turned and ran in search of Oliver.

Katie stood there gripping the gun in her hands, when more men appeared around her. She pulled the trigger a couple of time, only hitting two men before the clip was empty. At this point, Katie tossed the gun to the ground and found herself standing in the middle of three men. None of them held any weapons, so this fight was going to be as fair as three guys and one girl could be.

"Alright guys" Katie said pulling her arm to stretch. "Last chance to run." they chuckled. Of course they did. Any one witnessing this fight saw a woman outnumbered and outmatched. Katie closed her eyes and let out a slow, deep breath as she felt the darkness moving under her skin. "Don't say I didn't warn you." she didn't even open her eyes when she heard the first movement. No one whose been taught by the demon needs eyes to fight.

_There was a single clap that echoed around her that let her know that this test was now over. Her entire body was buzzing, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins as she pulls the blindfold from her eyes to see league soldiers lying around her, just trying to pick themselves up. She doesn't know why the scene brings a smile to her face, but it does._

" _Bravo." Ra's spoke and Katie turned her eyes to him as he walked toward her. "You have surpassed my expectations of you."_

" _What's next?" Katie asked, unfazed by the man's praise. There was no one more she hated in this world as much as the man standing in front of her. She hated him so much that practically every moment of every day her mind traveled to a scenario in which she was able to gain the upper hand against him and finally kill him._

" _You should all be watching!" Ra's said looking over to his men who staggered to their feet. "A woman who hasn't had an ounce of your training with the heart of a thousand warriors, always ready for battle." he turned back to Katie with that sadistic smile that haunted her dreams. "I think I see why Agent Waller was hesitant to let you go. You're like him."_

" _Who?" Katie asked in confusion. She was still trying to gather information about the true reason why she was here, and every time she seemed like she was close, it all just blew up in her face._

" _I think you are ready for the next level."_

" _What next level?"_

" _Endurance." the man replied._

" _And what will I be enduring?" Katie asked through grit teeth, already sure she knew the answer, but she needed to hear it. The demon head took another step toward her, bringing him entirely way too close to her, his darkened eyes burrowing into her soul._

" _Everything you fear."_

When Katie opened her eyes, she was out of breath and sore, but she figures the three men laying unconscious around her probably felt worse. There were footsteps and Katie lifted her head to see John, and a bruised Oliver walking toward her. Katie started to move toward him almost instinctively, but after a few steps reality struck her.

"One day you're going to have to tell how you can do this" John said looking over to Katie, whose eyes were on Oliver. Now that he was close and just a few feet away from her, she cold see how beat up he really was.

"Are you alright?" Oliver asked her and she nearly laughed. Why the hell did he have to be so damn sweet sometimes? Right now she needed to hate him, and that was hard when he asked her if she was alright, after he's the one who was kidnapped.

"Yeah" Katie said before turning and walking off. "We should get out of here!"

Not many words were passed during that drive to the foundry. Hell, not a sound was uttered during the entire drive. It wasn't until Katie's phone rang as they pulled up to the club was the silence broken. She slipped the phone from her pocket as she stepped out of the car.

"Everything alright?" Oliver asked looking back to her and Katie wasn't sure if she could even answer that right now. She glanced down to her phone to see Bruce's number on the ID.

"I need to take this I'll meet you inside." Katie said turning her back and distancing herself from the man.

"You should probably find out what that's all about when this is all over." John suggested as he headed inside the club. Oliver just cast one final glance to Katie, before doing the same.

_"Alright Robins, my plane is ready, we should be able to leave in an hour."_

"There's been a change of plans."

_"What kind of change?"_

"The kind where Malcolm Merlyn still roams free, and he still owns a device that can kill half of this city."

_"I thought this was all taken care of. We had access to the files, we could find the device and Malcolm is supposed to be rotting in some jail right now."_

"Well this is Malcolm. He lives to survive. He's going to fight until the end."

_"So this becomes your fight now?"_

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It mean's Oliver's the one who took on the responsibility to save this city. This is his mission and he has team, why can't you just let it go. After everything he's done, no one would blame you for just leaving."

Katie let his words sink in for a moment. She couldn't lie, the thought of just turning and walking away right now had crossed her mind once or twice, but something always stopped her.

"I would." Katie replied. "I would think about it every hour of every day and it would slowly eat away at me. I already have a lot of things eating away at me, making me feel guilty, I don't need more." she walked over to lean on the side of John's car, closing her eyes and running her hand across her knotted shoulders. "Once upon a time I was one who took an oath to do everything in my power to save lives. For three years I was beaten and tortured until the darkness would take away that woman. And I was close, hell to this day it still feels like I'm close, but I can still feel that woman inside of me who believes in that oath and in that fight for what's right. If I leave now, then it only proves that I really did die and I'm not ready to die yet."

Bruce was silent for a few moments and Katie had to look down to her phone ot make sure the call hadn't dropped.

"Hello?"

 _"Alright_." Bruce finally spoke. _"I should be there in ten minutes."_

"You're helping?"

_"I just get the feeling Starling is about to get a whole lot crazier and I've had some experience in that area, so why not?"_

"I guess I'll see you then."

Katie turned back to the club and took another deep breath. If she was going to do this, help with this fight then she was going to have bury her personal feelings. For the moment at least.

When she walked down the stairs to the basement of the club where she saw Oliver with a phone to his ear, and John standing off to the side.

"Who is he talking to?" Katie whispered as she walked over to stand beside John.

"Lance. He figures if we have the help of SCPD, there's a better chance of taking down Malcolm." Katie nodded turning back to Oliver who stopped pacing and met her eyes.

"Whatever you think of me Detective, please believe this." Oliver spoke before pulling the phone from his ear and ending the call.

"You think he believed you?" John asked and Oliver just shrugged.

"I don't know, right now we can only hope." Oliver replied once again meeting Katie's eyes.

"What now?" Katie asked turning away from Oliver to John. "Do we doing anything now besides stand around and look at each other?" Diggle turned to Oliver who subtly nudged his head for him to give him and Katie some privacy.

"I'm going to go check on something outside." Diggle said before heading toward the back exit of the basement.

Katie closed her eyes and let out a sigh before finally turning to Oliver who stood waiting for her to just say what she needed to say.

"What is it?" Oliver finally asked, taking a step toward her, only for her to step away something she hasn't done in a while. This verified his suspicions that something really was wrong. "Twinkie-"

"I hate that stupid name!" Katie said angrily, but she quickly took another deep breath to try to calm the whirl wind of emotions inside of her. "Let's not do this now, ok. Let's just-" she turned to him. "If we have to wait, then let's do it separately." Katie turned to run up the stairs.

"Will you just tell me what's wrong?!" Oliver called after her and Katie stopped, her fist clenching beside her.

"You slept with Laurel." in that moment Katie felt her heart truly break after those words came out of her mouth. She couldn't face him. Couldn't let him see just how broken she really was.

"Katie" she heard him walk behind her and she quickly ran up the stairs to get away from him. "Katie!" Oliver ran after her, because this just couldn't happen, not now. He remembers laying there with Laurel after, and feeling so disgusted with himself. He felt nothing and no matter how much he tried to lie to himself, he knew the real reason why what made sense didn't seem to feel right. Nothing about Oliver Queen made sense at this point. From getting on that boat and being stranded on that island, to the events that followed. He never should've expected his life after to make sense either. If there was a life after all of this, then he no longer had a doubt or any reservations about who he wanted to spend that time with. It was Katie. It always was.

He needed to say those words out loud and she needed to hear every last on of them. When he ran up to the bar he looked to Katie who stood staring at something behind the bar. He moved a little closer to see Tommy with a bottle to his lips.

"And here he is!" Tommy said meeting Oliver's gaze. "My best friend in life." he let out a dry laugh before turning to Katie. "I guess I should say our best friend, huh?" Tommy's eyes looked between the pair. "Oh, I think that's the look I've been dying to see." Oliver turned to him with a look of confusion.

"I can't do this now." Katie muttered with a shake of her head before turning and heading for the door.

"Katie, wait-" Oliver went to follow after her, but she stopped and finally turned to him letting his see her eyes. It was the way she looked at him that let him know for the first time how she was truly feeling. "Just let me-"

"Talk to him, Oliver" Katie said glancing over to Tommy. "You may have a chance to fix it with him."

"And not you?"

"I can't even-" she shook her head before turning her back to him and heading for the door. "I can't answer that now."

Katie stormed out the door, ignoring the the cold breeze that blew past her. This wasn't supposed to be happening. She was supposed to come home and her father was supposed to be alright and she was going to live the life she'd dreamed about.

"Focus" Katie muttered closing her eyes and sliding her fingers through her hair. It was then that she heard the distinctive voice of the demon head. And in the next breath she was soon standing in the middle of memory she wished she could forget.

_Katie stood still for a moment, her eyes traveling past the snow covered trees that surrounded her. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the long bladed sword. She'd been out her for a while, her eyes squinting from staring at the snow for so long. The sound of crushing snow, snapped her into attention. Katie took a few steps toward the sound, moving quietly, but swiftly. She'd only taken a few steps when she saw a man lying on in the snow, covered in blood. His eyes turned to her and he opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but it would seem every word he wanted to say came out in spurts of blood. Instinct took over and Katie ran over, dropping to her knees beside him, the sword fell from her hand before she pressed her hands against his bleeding abdomen._

" _Don't worry" Katie said, her doctor words seeming to fly out of her mouth. She remembers learning in medical school how to be reassuring, and positive. That giving the patient hope could be a big part of their recovery. "You're going to be alright. You're going-" Katie heard movement around her and lifted her eyes to see Ra's league surrounding her and the man, their swords pointed right at her._

" _What was your mistake?" Ra's voice said from somewhere around her. Her eyes darted around for him because even though she was surrounded by blades pointed at her, she knew the biggest threat was the source of that voice. A few of the men parted, allowing him to walk in, his eyes ignoring the man bleeding to death and only looking to Katie. "You started off well, you were aware of your surroundings, you were focused. What did you do wrong?"_

" _This man is bleeding, he needs to be taken to a hospital now." Katie said looking back down to the man whose eyes had already closed as she applied more pressure to the room. "He's lost too much blood, if he doesn't get any help he's going to bleed out right here."_

_Ra's simply sighed, before unsheathing his own sword. Katie looked up to him with wide eyes before watched as he stuck the sword right into the man's heart without even batting an eye. He twisted the sword for good measure before plucking it from the man's chest and sliding it back into it's sheath. He returned his hands to their place behind his back, before bringing his eyes back to Katie._

" _Now you can answer me. What was your mistake?" Katie looked away from him back down to the man who was now dead, but her hands still were pressed hard against his chest. She didn't know why, but she couldn't let him go. "Tell me your mistake!" his voice was angry, something that put the fear of God in her, but it had been months and that fear no longer held as much control as it once did. "You will answer me when I speak to you." With a quirked brow Katie lifted her head to once again meet his gaze. "What was your-"_

" _What you call a mistake, I call having a heart. Is that why I'm here? Is that what your part in all this is? Are you supposed to drain the humanity out of me? Because I hate to break it to you, but I won't let you." her eyes fell to the lifeless man underneath her fingers, the heartbeat she once felt now just still. In a moment of realization, Katie finally pulled her hands from the bloodied man and stood to her feet. She climbed over the man's body, and placed herself right in front of the demon. This time being the one to pull herself into his personal space. "What was the lesson here?"_

" _Does the lesson matter if you didn't learn it?"_

" _How do you know that I did learn it and just chose to ignore it. I was supposed to walk past this man, I was supposed to find my food and choose my survival over his. What does me choosing his life over mine mean? Do I get punished now? Do I get a night with the beast? Maybe you want to fire up up the ole branding iron and see how long it takes me to scream? Oh, I know how about you toss me into a dark room with no food and no water and just let me lie in my own filth? Will I learn the lesson then? What do you want from me!?" her voice echoes through the trees, but the man standing in front of her stared unfazed by the outburst. He actually looked bored as he let out a sigh._

" _What did you do wrong?" He simply asked again. Katie shook her head before turning to walk away, but the man's hand wrapped around her throat, and squeezed ever so slightly as he lifted her from the ground. Katie struggled to breathe as she reached up trying to pry his fingers from her throat with no avail. "If you haven't gotten this by now, then I am deeply saddened by how blind you are. There is one goal here, only one and when it's reached is when you're let go. But until then I will fire up the ole branding iron, and I'll toss you in with the beast, or maybe just maybe I'll let you lie in the dark without any food or water, while letting you lay in your own filth. This ends when you finally stop fighting me and realize the only way you win is by finally giving into me. So I am going to ask you, just one final time and you will answer. Do you understand?" Katie's jaw clenched as she stared into his eyes with a darkened glare but as best she could she nodded in understanding. "Now, what was your mistake?" he released her throat and let her fall to the snow. She coughed with a hand to her now sore throat before bringing her eyes to his to see him awaiting an answer._

" _Distraction." Katie rasped turning away from him to the man lying on the ground._

" _The key to your survival is focus. Once you lose that focus, you become vulnerable. And no great warrior will ever find themselves vulnerable." Katie met Ra's eyes once more. "What does distraction lead to?"_

Katie opened her eyes and looked up to the club, his words now spinning around her. His words would never leave her and because of that, she'd never really be free of him.

"Distraction leads to destruction." Katie muttered before taking a deep breath and deciding in that moment that her personal feeling for Oliver or Laurel was no longer important. That simple. She would focus on Malcolm and stopping his plan and making sure he pays for what he's done. "Focus." she spoke once more before taking a step before the door to the club burst open and out stalked a very angry Tommy. He glanced over to her for moment before turning and stalking toward his car. "Wait." her voice wasn't loud, and so he kept walking. "Tommy wait!" she heard a groan escape his lips, but he stopped walking and turned to her.

"I don't want to do this now. I just want to go and I want get away from Oliver, and Laurel and these people I thought I knew who turn out to be murdering liars" he turned to leave, but Katie took another step forward.

"That's fine. I don't blame you for that, because this situation in all of it's aspects is just totally fucked up. You started dating your friends ex girlfriend and after he returns from the dead everyone realizes that the feelings they had just didn't die. In the end you were hurt and that's so god damn shitty and for that I'm sorry. Someone needs to tell you that and you need to hear it." they stood there for a few moments in a silence that they both seemed to need. It was Tommy who decided to break it.

"What do you need to hear?" Katie stared at him for a moment at a total loss at how to answer that question.

"This was a triangle, not a square. I had no one to lose and so I am fine. I am just...fine"

"And yet you're not." Tommy said walking over to her. "You told me what I needed to hear, now tell me what you need to hear."

"I don't like words because I've found that they can be really pointless." Katie replied with a shake of her head. "Words distract you from the truth. So I don't need to hear anything right now." Tommy stared down to the woman for a moment, before bringing his arms around her in a hug. Katie wanted to push away, to tell him that she didn't need to be comforted, that she wasn't the type of person who needed to be comforted, and yet she didn't. Actually she dropped her head on his shoulder, and even brought her arms around him to return the hug.

"You're wrong, it was a square. And he's idiot." Tommy whispered against her ear.

"And she's a bitch." Katie replied and she heard a light chuckle escape his lips. "I mean she was a bitch before all of this, but now she's like an official bee-octch"

"Thanks." Tommy simply muttered placing a kiss to her cheek before turning and finally getting into his car and driving away.

Katie stood there in the wind alone before turning back to the club. Despite what every fiber in her body was telling her to do right now, she just couldn't run. When Katie turned, she was met with the familiar car that was just pulling up. She walked over, just as Bruce was stepping out and she couldn't miss the way he stared at her as if searching for her emotions.

"You look horrible." Bruce said walking over to her. "You look exhausted and beat up, and-" he leaned in slightly to her eyes that were illuminated in the darkness, by the Verdant sign. "And you look sad. I should talk to Oliver-" Bruce turned to go into the Club, but Katie caught his arm to stop him.

"You're going to stay out of it, because believe it or not there are bigger problems to deal with. We need to find Malcolm and stop him before he hurts a lot of people."

"You never state the obvious unless you have a solution." Bruce said and Katie simply nodded before turning and walking toward the club and he simply followed. When they returned to the basement, both Oliver and John turned to them, their eyes going to Bruce first.

"You're still here?" Oliver asked.

"You know if you keep saying that every time you see me, then I'm going to start believing you don't want me around."

"That was kind of the point."

"Children, how about when this city is headed for a potential terror attack we just don't do this." Katie said looking between the two men before turning to Oliver. "We need to know what Malcolm's plan is and at this point there's only one person even close enough to this to get us that information. And I know you won't want to do this, but-"

"My mother" Oliver stated and Katie looked at him for a moment before nodding. "I will talk to her first thing in the morning. Until then we rest, but we stay ready, alright?" he looked over to John who nodded. He turned back to Katie and Bruce who stood at a distance. "I'm assuming you're going to take her home."

"You would be assuming right." Bruce said with a nod before turning to Katie. "And we should be going. You look like you need sleep. You ready?" Katie held up a finger before turning back to Oliver.

"Are you alright?" Katie asked and he looked confused by the question and even though she wished she was this heartless person who didn't care, she did. "You were kept in a room and used as a punching bag. Are you alright? Do you need me to look at you?" he simply shook his head.

"I'm fine."

"Alright." Katie turned to Bruce and nudged her head to the door. "Let's go."

Oliver stood there and watched as she and Bruce walked up the stairs and then disappeared out the door.

"She didn't argue with me." Oliver said to John who'd simply just been silently observing. "I've told her I'm fine before, but she argues and forces me to let her check me out. This time she didn't. I think I really messed up."

"Do you want to talk about it?" John asked knowing that was a dumb question. The man in front of him was not a sharer. He was a lock it up and throw away the key kind of guy, but it never hurt to just ask.

"Not really." John simply nodded before turning and heading for the door, but against his better judgment he stopped. He'd told Felicity countless times to stay out of the inner workings of the Liver, Twinkie tango, and yet he was stopping and turning to his friend. Oliver stared back with a confusion at the man. "What?"

"She found you. After whatever the hell happened that got you two to this point, she still went looking for you. And when we got there, and Malcolm's men was coming for us from every direction she told me to go find you and bring you back to her. So I don't know what happened between you two, but she could've easily just let you go. If it's any consolation I don't think all hope is lost. Not yet anyways." Oliver didn't say anything, even though a small part of him was relieved by the information. He simply nodded before watching as John turned to leave.

Bruce followed Katie into the house after a brutally silent car ride. He was still holding out hope that at any moment she'd finally just let out all the things she was holding inside. He knew the chances of that happening was slim to none, but it doesn't mean he can't hope.

"You don't have to stay here." she muttered over her shoulder as she headed up the stairs. "I'll be fine." Bruce simply turned and locked the front door, before following behind her.

"Malcolm Merlyn now knows who Oliver really is and the dangerous thing about letting your enemy see behind your mask is letting them see who you are. Malcolm knows Oliver, knows his weaknesses. You're included in that."

"I think you mean Laurel. Maybe you should go protect her, I will be fine." Katie pushed open the door to her father's office, at the moment just feeling like she needed him more then ever. Bruce followed behind her, his eyes immediately going to the file cabinet that looks like it had been shot open. He looked over to Katie who didn't seem too fazed by the sight as she curled herself into Jacob's leather chair.

"You know it's been a long time since I've been in here." Bruce said letting his eyes wander over the pictures across the walls. "It looks exactly the same."

"You know Malcolm." Katie spoke, needing to change the subject from her father. Bruce turned to her, seeing how she sat with her eyes close in the chair. "What's his weakness?"

"You know what his weakness is." Bruce said walking over to sit in the chair opposite the desk. "Tommy."

"I need another, something else."

"There is nothing else. Malcolm is smart. He doesn't hold onto anything too tight to become attached to it, except Tommy. You want to hurt Malcolm then that's how you do it." Katie opened her eyes and looked over to him. "You want to beat Malcolm, you find this seismic device and prove how smart he just really isn't."

"I think that part of the equation will be figured out by our fabulous Ms. Smoak." Katie said, unable to miss the slight smile that crossed the man's face at the mention of Felicity's name. "You like her, don't you?" Bruce simply shook his head before sliding back in the chair, and propping his feet on the desk and closing his eyes. "You live in Gotham."

"I am aware."

"She lives in Starling. How would that work?"

"I'm not looking for anything right now. My life is kind of busy the way it is, there's no room for babbling blondes." another smile crossed his lips. "No matter how much I wish there was."

"You know I still don't understand why you and Oliver don't get along." Katie replied closing her eyes as well. "It's uncanny how much alike you two are."

"Bite your tongue Robins." Bruce sighed and soon the pair drifted off to sleep.

When Katie's eyes snapped open, awaking from the current nightmare, she found herself lying in her bed on top of her blankets. Her eyes lifted to see Bruce asleep in the plush chair near her window. She quietly slid out of bed, and eased out of the room not making a sound.

The house was still dark, which she figure meant she hadn't been sleep that long. She walked into the kitchen, and headed for the freezer where she knew a pint of her favorite ice cream was waiting for her.

Maybe she was hearing things, but she could've sworn that she heard something from outside. She walked over to the sink, and peeked through the blinds to the back yard that looked empty, but she knew all too well that looks could be deceiving. And so Katie walked to the back door and pulled it open, before walking out onto the back porch. She let her eyes scan across the darkness, and she couldn't explain but she knew someone was out there.

"Very bold of you." she said trying to find exactly who was out there. "Show up at my house. I think you should know, every person Malcolm's has sent here has failed miserably. Learn from their mistakes and don't even try." She soon heard footsteps and zeroed in on the direction of their source, when suddenly a man appeared in strikingly familiar attire. It was the dark hood, and the cowl pulled strategically over his face so only his eyes were visible. She took a step back.

"The League." she muttered and the man tilted his head. She turned about to go back into the house, when the man quickly held up his bow and aimed an arrow right at her. Katie wasn't stupid. She knew the league was trained far better then any petty criminal in Starling, and so she froze. "Did he send you?" the man didn't say anything as he took a couple of steps forward.

"No," the familiar voice spoke and Katie's eyes widened when he reached up and pulled the cowl from his face. "But I'm starting to believe there's a whole lot more to you then I realized."

"I could say the same thing about you Malcolm." Katie replied still looking over his clothing. "What do you want?"

"I need Oliver out of the way, and he's going to need motivation. After speaking with my son, I think you can be that motivation."

"Oliver won't sacrifice saving this city for me."

"Let's just agree to disagree on this one." Malcolm said before pulling the bow string, and sending an arrow flying right at her. The last thing Malcolm expected to see was the woman toss herself from the porch to dodge the arrow. She rolled herself back to her feet and began running. Malcolm grabbed an arrow from his quiver and shot arrow after arrow in her direction in hopes of weakening her. His last arrow was shot as she jumped over the white picket fence , into the neighbor's yard.

"Shit." he muttered running over about to follow. He'd only climbed up a bit, able to see that she was nowhere in sight. He tossed himself over the fence, letting his eyes dart around the yard for any sign of her. The only thing he found was his arrow lying on the ground and so he bent down to pick it up. And even though he was upset with losing her, a small smile did grace his lips at the sight of blood dripping from the head of the arrow.


	24. Home, Heart and Hero.

**Chapter 24**

**Home, Heart and Hero.  
**

_"Hard times don't create heroes._

_It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed._ "

_-Bob Riley_

* * *

Six months ago, Katie stepped off a plane and took in the air of the city she called home, and for the briefest of moments, she felt everything would be alright. The truth of the matter is, she knows that was impossible. She knows that after three years of being a puppet, that a nice normal life afterwards would just be a childish dream.

When Katie arrived home she didn't know what life to expect, but she just knew it had to be better then the life she'd just escaped. She never expected to be running down the street, with an arrow sized hole in her thigh.

Before Bruce would come to Oliver's lair, he usually called someone to at least give them a heads up that he was coming. He knew Oliver still was on the fence about whether he could trust him or not and so while he was in Starling, Bruce would play by the man's rules. Today though, it was different. He distinctively remembers carrying Katie from her father's desk and laying her in the bed, before sitting in the very comfortable chair near her window. When he woke up, she was no where in sight, so he went in search for her not wanting to jump to any conclusions too soon. He called her name a couple of times throughout the house, checking the bathrooms before heading downstairs. It wasn't until he walked into the kitchen and saw the back door that lead to the backyard wide open did he know something was wrong. Bruce's stomach dropped, but he took a few steps forward until he reached the porch. The first thing he saw was the arrow sticking from the window sill. He reached over and had to tug it from the wall. With the arrow in his hand, Bruce stepped down the stairs with the hopes of at least finding some clues as to what happened. He saw two sets of footprints, one small he's guessing belonging to Katie, and the other larger. Bruce lifted his eyes in the direction the footsteps seemed to go, which just so happened was the fence that separated the yards. He walked over to the fence, walking along side it, until his eyes caught a glimpse of a brown speck. With the tips of his finger, Bruce touched the stain before looking down to his fingers.

"Blood." he muttered. Without a second thought, Bruce gripped the arrow even tighter and headed for the door.

He didn't call this time, and he really wasn't too focused on letting them know he was coming. Bruce stalked through the clubs' doors and headed straight for the basement. He nearly jogged down the stairs where he found Oliver, Felicity and John who all turned when he arrived. Oliver took a step forward looking to the man, and noticing a pretty obvious absence.

"Where is she?!" Oliver asked angrily taking a few more steps forward.

"That's what I want to know" Bruce said slamming the arrow to the table in front of him. "Who does this belong to?" They all walked over to look at the arrow. "Oliver-"

"Malcolm." Oliver said his eyes darkening at the thought of the man now having captured Katie. He turned a darkened glare to Bruce, before quickly grabbing the front of the man's shirt and slamming him against a nearby wall. "You were supposed to be watching her! You were supposed to protect her!" In a move Oliver didn't expect, Bruce grabbed him by the shoulders and forcefully pushed him back. Oliver attempted to grab the man once again, but John was there to hold him back. "If something happens to her-"

"Nothing will happen to her!" Bruce snapped with a shake of his head. "She's leverage. He thinks if he has her, then you'll back off his plans with the Undertaking."

"That only works if Oliver chooses to save her over the Glades." John said looking over to Oliver who didn't seem to back up that statement. "Oliver wouldn't-"

"He would, but she wouldn't let him." Bruce said shaking his head. "If it's just him, and she saw it coming then she could've gotten away."

"And if it's not just him and he caught her off guard, then what?" Oliver replied before walking over to grab his bow and a few arrows.

"Oliver, where are you going?" John asked taking a step forward. "You can't go out there dressed like the hood now."

"I have to find her!" Oliver snapped angrily, ignoring to tightness in his chest. He couldn't understand why no one else was seeing the urgency in this situation. "I have to save her."

"And the Undertaking? Malcolm? That's not important anymore?" John asked finding himself having to play the voice of reason. Oliver groaned because his head and his heart were fighting him right now. He knew what he was supposed to do, knew what the right move was, and yet the thought of Malcolm Merlyn hurting her made his blood boil and even thinking of doing nothing seemed implausible. "Don't let his plan work." Oliver didn't say anything which scared John. It meant that this was really a debate Oliver was having inside of himself, and the end result wasn't necessarily going to be the smart one. "Oliver-"

"Alright." Oliver said turning to Felicity. "Keep looking for possible locations of the device." Felicity stood there for a moment, seeing how uncertain he was with that order. "It's fine, just keep looking." Felicity simply nodded before walking back over to her computer.

"What are you going to do?" John asked and Oliver met his eyes, that question seeming to be playing in his head at the very moment.

"I don't know, just-"he shook his head in frustration. "I just need to think." and with out another word, Oliver jogged up the stairs to the club.

"He's not going to do something stupid." John said, hoping to reassure himself more than anyone else.

"No, but I probably will" Bruce replied before picking up the arrow and heading for the back exit.

"Bruce,wait!" John tried to calling after him, and the man stopped. "Oliver talked to his mother, Malcolm has sped up the time table. This is happening tonight. We have to move smart here."

"I know Malcolm and I know how his mind works. If he has her, then killing her is going to be the last thing on his list of things to do, but hurting her-" he turned back to John. "That bastard will take a sick pleasure out of hurting her." Bruce simply turned and stalked out of there.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" John asked and Felicity only glanced over to him for a second.

"Look, Bruce is smart, he won't do anything that would endanger so many lives." Felicity said as she sifted through Malcolm's files. "We just need to find this device, and-"

"What?" Felicity tilted her head as she looked to the screen.

"There's something here" Felicity said standing to her feet and walking over to the grab Oliver's small notebook of names. She flipped through the book until she spotted the symbol. "Look." she walked back over to the computer and held the notebook beside it for him to compare.

"It's the same, we already realized that." John said as Felicity sat the notebook down and expanded the map a little more. "What are you thinking?"

"What if it's more specific then that." Felicity said once again tilting her head at the map.

Oliver was pacing, something he never did, but at the moment just sitting and staying still was just out of the question. This entire time, he'd been so focused on protecting Katie and now it would seem that he'd have to make a decision. It was going to be a decision he was going to regret, no matter which side he chose.

When Oliver felt the subtle vibration in his pocket, he stopped and pulled out his phone, bringing it to his ear without even looking at the screen.

"This is Oliver."

 _"I'm fine._ " came the voice on the other end and in that moment, Oliver felt himself breathe that much easier. _"Just-"_ there was a brief pause. _"I'm fine."_

"Where are you, I'm coming to get you." Oliver said already heading for the door.

_"No you're not. You're going to find that device and deactivate it before Malcolm can hurt all those people. That's what's important right now."_

Oliver just placed his hand on the door, before dropping his head against it and closing his eyes. She was right, that was important, and yet he wanted nothing more then to run out of this door and find her.

"What happened?"

 _"He was going to use me to get to you."_ Katie said pausing once again. _"Which is crazy, I mean we're just-"_ that was sentence she wasn't sure she could or even should finish. _"whatever, I fine."_

"Why won't you tell me where you are?"

_"Because I can't have any distractions now, and you're one big fucking distraction for me Oliver. Today Malcolm will pay. Today I will be the one to make sure of it and that only happens one way."_

"Ok, so I need you to really listen to me. You have absolutely no idea how much I understand what you're feeling right now, how easy it is to just slip into the darkness and let it run the show, but if you do that, if you embrace it, then coming back will be next to impossible."

 _"Next to impossible, isn't impossible."_ Katie whispered. " _You know before I got here I had this idea of how things were going to be. I was home and that idea in my head held certain expectations. And then I got here and my dad died...killed apparently, people are trying to kill me, and an old friend I prayed to God to bring back, appeared in front of me. Nothing is happening the way I expected...the way I wanted and I thought it was because everything around me was changing, but its not. It's me Oliver. I came home and couldn't feel home because I wasn't me anymore."_

"That's not true. You felt something. I know you felt something."

" _I have to go."_

"Katie, don't-"

" _Goodbye Oliver."_

He heard the click of the call ending and Oliver felt as if the ground underneath him was cracking.

Katie looked down to her cell phone for a moment, the conversation and all of it's implications playing in her head. She was going to do this, she was going to kill Malcolm Merlyn. She tossed the phone into the brick wall of the building she was hiding behind, watching it shatter into pieces in front of her before she tossed her hood over her head and walked back into the crowded sidewalk. She walked with her head down, her eyes on her feet as the moved one in front of the other. There was no plan, because in defeating the enemy rarely did a plan work. Defeating the enemy was done by following your instinct. It was the voice that stopped her. The voice of a woman she thought she knew. Katie stopped in front of the television repair shop, where a crowd had already formed to watched what was playing.

" _My name is Moira Dearden Queen. I am the acting CEO of Queen Consolidated. And God forgive me, I have failed the city. For the past five years, under the threat for my life and the lives of my family I have been complicit in an undertaking with one horrible purpose- to destroy the Glades and everyone in it. I realize now that my family's safety will mean nothing if I let this dreadful act occur. But you need to know that the architect of this nightmare is Malcolm Merlyn._

Katie heard the gasps of the people around her and turned as they all stared with wide eyes at the woman on the screen.

" _Yes, and I have proof that he has killed dozens in pursuit of this madness. Adam Hunt, Frank Chen, and my husband Robert. Please. If you reside in the Glades, you need to get out now. Your lives and the lives of your children depend on it."_

It didn't take long for people to turn and begin running away. Katie turned to the streets and could only imagine the mayhem that was about to ensue. She looked back to the television screens just in time to see Moira being hand cuffed an read her rights. Malcolm was next and she just knew he wasn't going down without a fight.

Katie stuffed her hands in her pockets before turning and stalking down the street, ignoring the pain with each step she took. She'd only been walking for a few minutes before she appeared in front of the store she'd sought out. When she walked through the door, the bell above rang, but the man behind the counter eyes were glued to the screen watching the news feed of Moira.

"We're closing." the man said not even bothering to turn to her. "You should get home. This city is about to go to shit soon."

"You own a weapons store." Katie said letting her eyes eyes trail over the guns that hung on the wall behind the man. "This is about to be your busy season." the man looked to Katie and his eyes widened.

"You're that woman. Uh-"

"My name is Katherine Robins." Katie said placing her hands on the counter and leaning across slightly. "You're going to help me."

The moment Bruce saw Moira's press conference, he knew this city and Oliver might need the help of Batman. He was proved right that night as he stood on a tall building above the Glades watching the mayhem that ensued. People were running and screaming at news of a possible bomb exploding around them. It opened up the city to looters and just people afraid for their safety. Bruce's eyes caught the sight of a man jumping in front of a car with a gun aimed at the driver.

"Get out of the car!" the man yelled walking around to the driver's side and pulling open the door. A woman frightened for her life, quickly gets out of the car before running around the back to pull out her young son. The gunmen was about to get into the car, when something stabbed his ankle causing him to fall to the ground in pain. The woman spun around in time to see the man she'd only witnessed on television and from the papers walking over to her. She shook in fear, holding onto her son for dear life.

"Get in your car and go home." came the gravelly voice of the Batman. Without needing to be told twice, the woman got into her car and sped away. Bruce walked over to the thug who stared up into the dark eyes of the vigilante in fear. "You're going to tell your friends I'm here, so before they try to do something stupid, they should remember that." the man nodded before standing to his feet and running as fast as someone who'd just been stabbed could.

Bruce turned back to the scene in front of him and couldn't shake how reminiscent the scene was to Gotham just a few months ago.

"Where the hell are you Robins?" Bruce muttered before lifting his arm and releasing a grapple hook to the side of a nearby building lifting himself in the air.

At the moment, Oliver had to think like Katie which was never too hard. They usually had the wavelength in certain areas which is one of the reasons he loved her. She understood him in a way not a lot of people did, and he liked to think that he was the same with her. So when he thought of where she would start her search of Malcolm Merlyn, his company was the first to come to mind.

Oliver was relieved in Detective Lance's change of heart and helping them find and stop this bomb. He just hopes that he and Felicity can stop this before the Glades goes to hell.

"You think she'd come here first?" John asked snapping Oliver from his head as they rode the elevator up to Malcolm's floor.

"This is the logical first place to look for him. She's smart. This is the first place she'd come." Oliver said just as the doors to the elevator slid open onto the dark halls. Oliver held his bow high, and arrow at the ready as John followed behind him, his gun aimed as well. The first thing they noticed was the police that laid on the floor of Malcolm's office.

There was a grunt across the room and both men turned and that's when Oliver's eyes saw Tommy trying to pull himself from the floor.

"Tommy." Oliver ran over, pulling his hood from his head as he crouched beside his friend. It was at this point did Oliver noticed the bruises and cuts along Tommy's face.

"Where's your father?"

"Ohh-" Tommy groaned sitting up, trying to push through the pain in his face from the hit his father gave him before disappearing. "I don't know. You were right. You were right about him."

"Has Katie been here?" Oliver asked and Tommy looked confused for a moment, but shook his head.

"Oliver" Diggle called and Oliver lifted his head to see John had found something.

"You're going to kill him?" Tommy asked and Oliver turned not wanting to say the words. Not to him.

"Get to safety." Oliver said helping the man to his feet.

Tommy just nodded before turning and running down out of the office, his feet racing down the hall toward the elevator. When he pressed the button, he waited impatiently his thoughts going Laurel. He had to find her and make sure she was safe. The moment the door began sliding open, Tommy prepared to run on, but didn't move because it wasn't empty. He was met with sight of a person dressed in all black, with a ski mask over their face, the only thing visible is their eyes and the gun in their hand. Tommy took a step back, and the strangers, quickly dropped the gun to their side before reaching up and pulling the mask from their face.

"Katie?" Tommy said taking a step forward and looking her over. "What are you doing here?" she dropped her eyes from him and that was answer enough for him. "You here for him."

"He had my father killed" Katie said turning back to the man, her usual blank eyes showing him way more emotion then he usually saw in the woman. She seemed to want him to understand why she needed to do this and hoped he understood. "And he's trying to kill me and god knows how many more people. Tommy-" Tommy simply moved aside to let her pass, his way of telling her that he wouldn't stand in her way. Katie gave him a nod before finally stepping off the elevator, but stopping and turning back to him. "Where are you going?"

"I have to find Laurel"

"Tommy-"

"I have to find her." he said, his voice and eyes telling Katie that there was nothing she could say that could say that would sway the man. Katie reached behind her and pulled out another gun and held it out to him.

"You may need this." Tommy looked down to the gun for a moment before reaching out and taking it. "Tommy, be careful" Tommy met her eyes and gave her nod as the doors slid closed.

The moment Katie was left alone, she reached up to pull the mask back over her eyes, but stopped and realized that he needed her to see her this time. Katie pulled the mask from her face and tossed it to floor before gripping the gun in her hands and running down the hall.

Once she reached Malcolm's office she stopped and took a deep breath before holding up her gun. She stepped inside, her eyes going to the officers who were laying on the floor. She supposed to step over them, they're distractions from her ultimate goal, but the moment her foot bumped one of them she knew she couldn't do that. Quickly, she kneels down beside one of them, placing her fingers on his neck, cursing at not finding a pulse. She did the same with the other two, but they were all gone which only fuel her determination.

There was grunt and Katie jumped to her feet, gripping the gun as she slowly followed the sound. There was a light coming from inside some kind of hidden room. It wasn't until she came around the corner did she see John sitting on the floor, blood everywhere and knives in his chest. "John!" Katie said running over beside him, the gun falling to the floor as she looked over his wounds. "What the hell happened?"

"Malcolm" John said grimaced as Katie pulled out the last knife. "Oliver-" Katie eyes met the man who nudged his head to another door that led somewhere else. "Go, I'm fine."

"You have holes in your chest, I doubt you're fine." Katie said before pulling off her hoodie and balling up and placing it against the man's chest.

"I will live." John said and Katie looked up to him. "If I had this chance, if Deadshot was up there, I would take it. Now go!" Katie looked over to the door before reaching over and grabbing her gun and standing to her feet. Her eyes turned to the katana that rested in front of her. Katie sat the gun down and took the sword in her hands, a familiar feeling creeping up her fingers at the familiar weight. She let her eyes close as a breath escapes her nose and that sensation that she usually fights seems to creep its way back in. In the next moment, Katie's eyes snap open and she's moving toward the door. She stepped up each step quickly, before pushing open a door that led to the roof. The moment she did, she hit with sight of Malcolm standing above Oliver, an arrow aimed right at him.

"You know I think I knew the moment I saw you!" Katie called and the man turned to her, never loosening the string of his bow. "The moment I saw you at that charity dinner and shook my father's hand with that shit eating grin. I knew you were no good."

"This is not a party for girls, young Katherine." Malcolm said and Katie chuckled as she continued moving toward him, the sword in her hands never wavering. "You have a tendency to dive into things head first, take my advice for once in your life and just leave." he turned his arrow on her, and Oliver jumped to his feet about to attack. "She'd be dead before you could touch me." And that's what took for Oliver just freeze in place.

"Katie, go!" Oliver warned turning to her, but her eyes were on Malcolm with a look so dark that it scared him.

"How did you do it?" Katie asked with a shake of her head. "The stroke seemed natural, his death, his heart stopping no sign of fowl play. How did you do it?"

"You don't get to where I am without making a few friends who are capable of making things possible." Malcolm replied a smile pulling at his lips. "And let me say the day your father finally died, I think I slept like a baby that night. He didn't know how things worked around here either. He thought he could keep the knight and shining armor act in my city, he learned, just like you will." Malcolm released an arrow.

"No!" Oliver yelled turning to Katie as the arrow shot at her, but with swift swing of the sword in her hand, it never touched her. A chuckle escaped Malcolm's lips as he looked over to her.

"A child of the demon. " he muttered and Katie's eyes once again met his as he lifted his bow to her, shooting arrow after arrow that she deflected with the sword. When he ran out, Oliver took the chance to tackle the man to the ground. Katie watched as the two men tussles in front of her, until Malcolm got the upper hand, and Oliver was on his knees, Malcolm's arm tightening around his neck.

"Let him go!" Katie yelled taking a few steps forward. Katie's eyes went to Oliver who met her eyes for a second before dropping his hand to an arrow that was in reaching distance.

"You know I think I'll take a pleasure in seeing you watch him die, before I kill you." Malcolm said before dropping his head to Oliver's ear. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep it slow and painful for her." Without a second thought, Oliver's hand grabbed the arrow and through his own chest to stab Malcolm.

"No!" Katie yelled dropping the sword before running over to catch Oliver who looked like he was going to drop to the ground. Her arm wrapped around him to pull him to his feet which was not easy, but with all the strength she could muster, she did.

"Thank you for teaching me what I'm fighting for. But my father taught me how." Oliver said as they looked down to Malcolm who held his bleeding chest. Oliver looked over to Katie, his arm wrapping around her pulling her close to him as her eyes seem to be glued to the man on the ground. He opens his mouth when Felicity's voice sounds in his ear.

_"Oliver, Lance did it."_

"It's over." Oliver says, with a relieved smile before looks down to the pained man in front of him.

"If I've learned anything as a successful businessman it's-" Malcolm coughs, blood at this point probably filling his lungs. But he just had to have the last word. One he knew would shake them. "-redundancy" and with the man's head turned the life leaving him. Katie pulled away from Oliver, about to check to see Malcolm was really dead, but Oliver's grasp around her tightened.

"Felicity there's another device. There's two of them!" Oliver said pulling Katie into his arms and as if on cue the ground shook. Katie brought her arms around him and held onto him until the shaking stopped. They walked over to the edge of the building and looked out to the terrible scene of the city crumbling in front of them. Buildings collapsed and they could hear the distant screams, and the whole thing brought Katie back to a war stricken Bosnia. She thought she'd escaped the screams and yet here she was and in that moment she found her. That woman she thought died in a dark room so long ago. And that woman... that woman screamed inside of Katie's head leaving only one thing to do. Katie turned to Oliver before placing a hand to the side of his face and he looked to her.

"I have to go." she said before pressing a hard kiss to his lips and forcefully pulling herself from his grasp. She turned and ran out of there as fast as she could. She heard him calling her name, but she didn't stop. The city was dying and screaming for help and she held certain skill that could be useful in such a situation.

Katie burst out the doors of the building prepared to just run until she got there. She didn't expect a man on a motorcycle dressed as a bat to get in her way.

"I've been looking all over for you!" Bruce yelled angrily, but Katie ignored him before walking over and climbing onto the back of his bike.

"Well yell later, the city's going to hell and it needs us." Bruce looked over his shoulder and just gave her a nod before peeling out of there.

If you saw them driving down the street, in the opposite direction of everyone else, you'd think they was crazy. Probably lost their mind. Maybe they had, but they found a part of themselves that couldn't sit idly by while people were hurt, and they ran with it. They ended up the middle of the destruction when Katie jumped off the bike.

"Go" she said turning back to the Batman. "Just help" he only nodded before speeding down the street.

"Help!" a voice yelled and Katie turned to see a woman sitting on the ground beside her son who was laid unconscious, blood coming from his head. Katie ran over, dropping to her knees.

"I'm a doctor." Katie said before dropping her head to the boys chest. There was screaming and yelling and buildings falling around her, but the only sound she focused on was the light thump underneath her ear. "What's his name?"

"Sam." the woman cried, sobbing beside Katie. Katie nodded before lifting her head above the boys.

"Sam, can you hear me!" she yelled placing a hand on the side of his face. "C'mon Sam, come back!" she placed her hand inside of his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's alright, just open your eyes." both women looked down to the boy when they heard a moan escape his lips. Katie looked over to the woman. "Give me your scarf" Without hesitation the woman untied the scarf from around her neck and handed it to Katie who pressed it against Sam's head as his eyes opened slightly. "Keep this pressed against his head-" Katie turned toward the woman. "First street seemed to get the least damage, so take it to find someone to get you to the hospital." the woman nodded before Katie picked the boy up and transferred him to the woman's arms. "Tell the doctor who treats him that it's a minor contusion. Keep him talking alright, don't let him close his eyes again until you reach that hospital" the woman nodded before rushing down the street.

Katie stood for a moment letting her eyes scan over everything, the fire and the screaming, sights and sounds she's sure will haunt her dreams and it broke her heart.

"This is what you do." she muttered to herself before she turned and ran down the street once again. She stopped, helping all those she could, and getting them well enough to get to their feet so they can get to the hospital. People were everywhere, either hurt, lost or just plain scared and it seemed there was always someone else who needed help.

"Laurel!" came the familiar voice of detective Lance and Katie lifted her eyes just in time to see Laurel run into the arms of her father. Katie ran over, just as the building that Laurel had ran from exploded causing them all to stumble back.

"No!"Laurel screamed trying to run back to the building, but her father wouldn't let her.

"Laurel, no. It's too late" Detective Lance said holding his daughter to his chest.

"But Tommy" Laurel said and Katie's eyes widened as she turned back to the collapsed building. She moved to go toward the building but a hand caught her shirt and pulled her back. She turned to see Lance staring back at her.

"There's nothing you can do doc except get yourself killed." Lance said pulling her back before bringing his arms back around his crying daughter.

They all stood there, staring at the dancing flames that were engulfing the building, as the realization hit that Tommy Merlyn was really dead. Katie stared at the building, while her mind seemed to pull her from this moment.

_A twelve year old Katie stood terribly uncomfortable in the puffy dress her mother made her wear that was ridiculously itchy. She sat in a chair, just looking at her feet dangle above the floor letting out a bored sigh before sitting back in her seat to look out at all the decorations. They were outside, at like some place with a lot of lights and a lot of weird fountains. Katie was suddenly thirsty, and so she decided that in that case she could break her mother's rule and leave her chair. She pushed through the crowd, until she heard the familiar laugh of her father. Katie rolled her eyes and headed in his direction, before slipping under his arm._

_"Ah, there you are sunshine." Jacob said smiling down to the little girl. "I want you to meet some people." Katie's eyes looked over to the man who was smiling down at her, that just made her feel slightly nervous. She then looked to the boy at his side who seemed to preoccupied with his gameboy to pay attention to anything around him. "This is Mr. Malcolm Merlyn and his son Tommy."_

_"Jacob, you were right, she did get all her looks from her mother." Malcolm said before bending down in front of the girl. "It's nice to meet you Katherine."_

_"Nice to meet you Mr. Merlyn." Katie replied never letting go of her hold on her father's hand._

_"What's that behind your ear?" Malcolm asked tilting his head slightly before reaching out and pulling a quarter. "Well Jacob I think I've found where you're hiding all of your money." Jacob just laughed as he looked down to the man._

_"I didn't know you were a bit of a magician Malcolm." Jacob said finally noticing the grip his daughter had on his hand._

_"Well I can't work all the time." Malcolm said placing the quarter in Katie's hand before standing up straight and looking over to his son. "Tommy?" the boy didn't even say anything so Malcolm plucked the gameboy from his hand._

_"Dad!" Tommy whined, but Malcolm simply slipped the device into his pocket. "What did you do that for?"_

_"Because you're being rude" Malcolm said nudging his son. "Tommy, this is Katherine, say hi." Tommy turned an annoyed glare to Katie._

_"Hi." he said begrudgingly before turning to his dad. "Can I have my game back, I was just about to win."_

_"No, there are other children here. Why don't you and Katherine go play or something."_

_"I don't want to play with her." Tommy said turning back to the girl with look of disgust. "She's a girl."_

_"Ah, son one day you're going to want to spend all your time with girls." Jacob said, he and Malcolm laughing, but neither child understanding what was funny._

_"Amen to that." Malcolm said before looking down to his son once again. "Now go Tommy" Tommy grumbled before looking over to Katie._

_"Well come on then" Tommy said before turning and running off. Katie just lifted her eyes to her father, hoping he could see that the last thing she wanted to do was go off with the mean boy._

_"Go on, sunshine. It'll be alright." Jacob said and Katie just sighed before walking over to the boy who chose to try to grab the coins out of one of the fountains._

_"I don't think you're supposed to be doing that." Katie said and the boy turned to her with yet another disgusted look._

_"What do you know chubby" he said before turning and going back to reaching for coins. Katie stood there for a moment before deciding to just turn around and hide away for the rest of the party._

The first time she saw Tommy Merlyn he was the biggest ass she'd ever seen, but the last time she saw him she'd never seen anyone so determined..so brave. Why did the good ones always have to die? Katie just shook away the thought, because it was such thoughts that would have her bawling in the middle of the streets and that's not something that could happen now. So she would focus on the things she could control, she she turned away from the building to Laurel whose face was visibly scratched as she stood with her head still against her father's chest.

"Are you alright?" Katie asked and the woman nodded silently, unable to speak. Katie turned back to the detective who looked over to her as well. " You need to get her to a hospital to get looked at. She could go into shock"

"Where are you going?" Lance asked watching Katie back away from him.

"I'm a doctor." Katie said when she felt warm tears on her cheeks. "This is my purpose." and with that she turned and went in search of someone to help. Something to keep her occupied from the fact that she thinks she was really falling apart this time.

It is a very strange feeling when you know another step is just impossible. Katie spent hours finding people who'd been hurt, or lost until she realized she could barely move herself. Her eyes were forced to look at the bloodied and bruised who were victims to a crime they didn't even understand.

It's when she ran into Detective Lance again did he see the look of a beaten and exhausted woman who could barely walk. She was standing next to an EMT, explaining the injuries of a woman she's just found in a car, when he walked over and saw the fresh blood on the back of her thigh.

"Hey, doc!" the detective called and she turned to him and seemed to blink a couple of times, but he knew what was going to happen and so he took a few steps forward and caught her before she could hit the ground. "I need some help over here!"

_There was blood in her nose, fresh, still warm and for some reason it didn't matter. All that mattered was that there was one man still standing who held a dangerous look in his eyes as he stared back at her. Her katana had long been knocked out of her hands, but he still held on to a dagger that he seemed to be gripping for dear life._

_He suddenly let out a guttural roar before running at her with the dagger, but she dropped and rolled out of his grasp quickly getting back to her feet. Without hesitation, she flipped on her hands, before grabbing the man's neck with her ankles and with a twist she sent them both falling to the floor. She kept the grip around his neck tight, never loosening. There was a voice in her head telling her to stop while she was ahead, that killing this man was pointless because she'd defeated him._

_"Do it." a voice said and she looked over her should to see the demon head sitting at his throne watching her. Katie turned back around and closed her eyes and with a jerk of her legs she heard the snap of the man's neck._

_"Why was that death necessary?" Ra's asked suddenly._

_"Survival can only be achieved when all threats to that survival are eliminated" Katie answered falling back on her back trying to catch her breath. "He was a threat to my survival and had to be eliminated."_

_"Lesson complete." Ra's said before standing to his feet and walking over to stand above her. "Next Lesson starts now." suddenly the doors swung open and Katie sat up just in time to see Ra's men drag in and toss a man on the floor._

_"Who is that?" Katie asked watching the man groan loudly as he turns over on his back. It wasn't until the man sat up and turned to them did she realize that she didn't need an answer to that question._

_"Mr. Wayne, you have completed your lesson." Ra's said, but Bruce's eyes locked on Katie's before turning back to Ra's. "And now shall you start your next one."_

_"What is this?" Katie asked standing to her feet and turning to the demon head who simply turned to her with a smile._

_"The Final Lesson." Ra's replied turning to Bruce. "Your training for the remainder of your stay will be together."_

_"Why?" Bruce asked looking to the man just as confused and suspicious._

_"You must learn your opponent's weakness." Ra's said glancing back to Katie. "Meet your last opponent."_

Katie's eyes snap open and she jumps from the bed violently, but there are arms around her instantly.

"You're alright Robins," Katie looked over to see Bruce holding on to her. "You're alright." Katie turned to find that she was in a hospital room, but its who she didn't see that caused her chest to tighten.

"Where's Oliver?" she asked. Everything felt like it was closing in on her and she needed to see him. She turned to Bruce who dropped his head. "Bruce-" she grit through her teeth.

"Oliver is fine, but after Tommy died he just couldn't-" Bruce brought his eyes back to Katie. "I told him I was coming to see you here and now no one knows where he is." Katie turned away for a moment before pushing the man away and sliding from the bed. "Where are you going?" Katie stopped and turned back to him.

"Home." was all she said before searching for her clothes.

When Katie arrived at her house, she pushed open the door and walked inside. The place was a wreck, but nothing too bad. At the moment she didn't care about the house. She ventured further and looked over into the living room and there he was sitting on her couch. Katie felt her hands shaking at her side as the events of the day began catching up to her. She took a deep breath to calm herself before she walked inside, taking the seat beside him. He'd change from his vigilante gear, and now just sat barefoot in a t shirt and some jeans.

Neither of them said anything, but Oliver did reach over and take her hand in his before Katie dropped her head on his shoulder.

"How did you find me?" Oliver spoke after a few beats of silence, not daring to look over to her.

"You told me once that this place sometimes felt more like home than your own home." Katie said looking down to his hands. "After the day we've had, there's no place to go but home."

"You shouldn't have left." Oliver said looking over to her. "But I knew where you were going. I could see in your eyes when you looked at me. But I went searching for you. I was riding my bike when I heard Laurel calling his name. There was this steel pole in his chest and I didn't know what to do. I didn't-"he dropped his head as the memory assaulted him once again of his friend lying there dying in front of him.

"Shss," Katie soothed before bringing her arms around him and pulled herself into his lap. Oliver's arm wrapped tightly around her back pulling her closer to him. It was a move that seemed to comfort both of them in this moment. She dropped her forehead against his closing her eyes. "It wasn't your fault."

"I couldn't save him." Oliver said closing his eyes against her as well. "I couldn't stop the destruction that Malcolm was so intent on inflicting. I failed this city."

"Look at me." Katie said and Oliver opened his eyes, their faces only inches apart. "Failure only happens when you do not try. You tried-hell we all tried to stop this. What happened yesterday does not fall on your shoulders, the only one to blame is lying cold in a freezer right now. You saved more lives then you realized yesterday, and I'm not saying that justifies the ones lost but it's something." They were silent once again, their eyes open and on the person in front of them as they sat wrapped in each other comfortably. There were words on the tip of Katie's tongue and she felt she could no longer hold them in. "Yesterday I saw hell, I saw one evil man bring hell to our city and it made me realize something. It can all just end-" she snapped her finger for emphasis. "-like that. If yesterday was my last day I would regret a lot of things, but my biggest one would be that I didn't tell you how much I love you Oliver Queen." Oliver didn't say anything right away, his eyes staring deep into hers and fear twitched inside of her in that moment and then something happened. A smile pulled at his lips as he looked up to her. "I hate when you do that. Just talk." Oliver chose to ignore her request because at the moment, there weren't any words that could convey what he was feeling. There was only one thing that he felt needed to happen and so Oliver pulled Katie's lips to his in a slow, deep kiss filled with so many emotions...love...passion...sadness...hope.

When they pulled apart, the need was still strong inside of them and so they let it drive them. They let it control the moment. And in this moment it seemed that they only needed one thing. That's the only reason they could come up with for why Katie reached for the bottom of Oliver's shirt and he allowed it over his head. It's why Katie pulled her own shirt from her head, before reaching back unclasping her bra. Oliver's lips crashed into hers as his hands slid underneath her ass before standing to his feet. Katie's legs wrapped around Oliver's waist as he held her in place, their lips never parting as he carried her toward the stairs.

Perfection has always been impossible to achieve and yet in this moment Katie and Oliver couldn't help but feel that they were veering very close. They needed to get out of their lives at least for while and forget the death and the sadness that lurked outside the walls around them. Oliver couldn't sleep, a part of him afraid that if he did, it would be revealed that this moment didn't happen. Everything in this moment seemed right, and strangely it made sense. He'd been searching for something for so long that made sense to him and nothing ever made as much sense as this moment where he laid next to the woman who seemed meant to be beside him. He wanted to kick himself for prolonging this, questioning it, for torturing himself by not just letting this happen. Katie laid with her back to his chest as his hand trailed lazy circles against the bare skin of her stomach.

"You're Katherine Robins," he whispered in her ear. "And I'm Oliver Queen." he trailed gentle kisses to her neck and shoulder and he heard a soft moan escape her lips. "And I don't think I've loved anything as much as I love you." Katie turned in his arms, sliding her leg around his hip as she brought a hand to his cheek. "I just thought I should tell you that."

"Well it's good to know." Katie replied before Oliver's lips returned to their place against hers.

And so that's how they're day was spent. At some point though, they did find themselves in need of food, and so Oliver sat at the table, his eyes on the legs of the woman wearing nothing but his shirt as she made the only thing she'd mastered in the kitchen. Soon a sandwich was placed in front of him and he couldn't help the smile that pricked at his lips.

"What?" Katie asked picking up her own sandwich to take a bite. "Peanut butter and banana, use to be your favorite." he glanced over to her and shook his head slightly.

"I haven't had one of these in-" why was a damn sandwich having such an effect on him. Maybe it was because he spent five years eating everything under the sun to stay alive, and he would usually dream of this sandwich in front of him. He met her eyes and just nodded. "Yeah, they're my favorite." he picked up the sandwich and took a bite and savored the familiar taste. He looked back over to Katie who was watching him with an adorable smile. "I love you." Now that those words had past through his lips once, whenever the need to just say them hit him, he just did and it felt great. There was a look in her eyes that he'd come to recognize in these few short hours as meaning one thing. So when she dropped the rest of her sandwich to her plate and stood to her feet, he pushed his chair slightly from the table before she climbed over to straddle his lap.

"You know I don't think I'm going to get tired of hearing you say that." she said already leaning in to capture Oliver's lips in another of many searing kisses the two had shared in that day. Katie felt his hands slide underneath her shirt and she couldn't hold back the moan that slipped through her lips when she felt his wandering fingers along her thighs. "Bed?"

"Too far." Oliver replied his lips traveling to the nape of her neck before lifting her to sit on the table, before reaching around and sliding everything off the table to the floor with a loud crash.

"I worked hard on those sandwiches." Katie said as Oliver's lips once again returned to their place against hers.

"I'll make us more." he replied as he lowered her back to the table.

After that, they did end up back in the bedroom. This time letting their bodies give into the exhaustion that both had been ignoring since words they'd been so desperate to hear, finally were spoken.

_Oliver found himself back in that burning building watching the life leave Tommy's eyes when he looked over his shoulder to see Malcolm laughing, taunting him._

_"Are you ready to die?" the man asked, but Oliver ignored him as he held on to his friend's hand. "What are you fighting for?" Malcolm asked with a slight chuckle. "You don't even know do you?"_

_"Oliver!" that was Katie's voice and when he turned he saw Malcolm with his arm wrapped around her throat._

_"How can someone who doesn't know what he's fighting for protect the woman he loves?" Malcolm smiled before looking down to Katie. "You'll fail her just like you failed this city Oliver. Might as well just put her out of her misery." With a twitch of his arm he snapped her neck and Oliver watched she fell to the floor._

_"No!" Oliver scrambled to get to her, but it seemed the closer he got, the further she moved away._

Oliver's eyes snap open and for a few moments he has to realize where he is. A hand moves across his chest and Oliver looks down to see Katie's closed eyes before she sleepily turns over.

Reason began filtering into his brain again. He asked himself if he could really let himself be the guy who gets the perfect girl and not let it end horribly. With his life, could that even be possible? He let out a deep breath, turning to her bare back, before leaning over and pressing a kiss to her shoulder. He turned  away, his eyes going to the ceiling of the room he'd been in so many times ,before looking over to the desk beside the bed, which held a note pad and a pen.

Katie felt the sun on her skin as she woke up from a dreamless sleep. The moment her eyes opened, reality was what haunted her instead. She remembered the Undertaking, and Tommy, but she remembered the light at the end of the darkness. With a small smile Katie turned around, but only found an empty bed.

"Liver?" she croaked through a dry throat as she sat up from the bed, pulling up the sheet cover herself. "Where are you?" she looked toward the bathroom, but the light was off. She was about to get out of bed, when she saw the piece of paper lying on bed beside her. There was a slight hesitation at first, but she took a deep breath and picked it up to read it.

_Dear Katie,_

_There are no words that can tell you how sorry I am for this, to leave like this, but I don't think there's any other choice. Last night I got glimpse of a perfect life. One where I had you and nothing else mattered._

_We watched the city crumble, and we watched as it took our friend with it and I can't help but feel responsible. I took on the responsibility to protect this city and I failed. I can't help but ask myself why should I get the happy ending when the rest of the city doesn't?_

_The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but I think I'd spend every day of our life wondering when another one of my mistakes would take someone else important to me. I think I'd die if something happened to you because of me._

_I hope you can understand why I have to leave and I hope one day you'll be able to forgive me. Just know that where ever I am, where ever I end up I will always love you. You're my home, and my heart and whether you believe it or not, you're my hero._

_You will always be my Twinkie, and I will forever be your Liver._

_Love,_

_Oliver._

The moment she read the last word, Katie sat frozen. For a second, a very brief second she thought that they could have it. That life that they both so desperately needed, but once again Oliver let fear control him. A part of her understood it, because a part of her shared those fears, but they were never stronger than her heart and it would seem Oliver's fears were. Katie crumpled up the letter and tossed it aside, before climbing out of bed and doing the one thing she should've done a long time ago.

Katie found herself standing in the very luxurious hall of the Starling City Plaza, with her suit case beside her outside of the door she knew she'd end up at some point. She wanted to cry, so badly that it hurt, but she refused to let herself crumble. So without anymore hesitation, Katie reached up and knocked lightly. Before she knew it, the door swung open and there was Bruce.

"Robins?" Bruce said clearly surprised at her appearance. He thought for sure she and Oliver would probably be half away across the country right now trying to escape the memories that this city would hold for them. His eyes looked down to the suit case beside her before once again meeting her eyes that were heartbreaking.

"So that plane you have all fueled up ready to take me away from this place, is it ready to go?" she asked taking a step forward to go inside, only for him to move to block her.

"You really should've called Robins." Bruce said and Katie looked at him with confusion before glancing in to the room and seeing someone she didn't expect. Katie's eyes darkened before she shoved Bruce out of the way and stormed into the room where none other that Agent Amanda Waller.

"No it's fine Bruce." Amanda said glancing over to Bruce who closed the door and walked over. "It's time she finally knew the truth." Waller turned to Katie who looked like she would attack the woman at any moment. "We should talk."

"No." Katie said with a shake of her head before turning to Bruce. This couldn't happen now. Not after everything, this moment and what she feared it held just couldn't happen. "Just no." she made a be line for the door, but Bruce moved to block her. "If I have to move you, you're not going to like it."

"He said at this point that you'd be angry." Waller said. "That his daughter was as stubborn as a mule, which she got from her mother." Katie turned back to Amanda who reached down and picked up a box and sat in on the table in front of her. "You want to know why? Why you were taken?" Amanda reached into the box and pulled out a folder which she held out to Katie. "There was a bigger plan at play." Katie looked to the folder, the word "ARGUS" stamped across the front. "A plan where you and Oliver were the key players." Katie walked over and snatched the file from the woman's hand. "Mr. Wayne was enlisted to help us. Finish the process-" Katie looked over to her. "You left before we could ensure you were ready, and so he would take you to Gotham to finish your training and fully debrief you on your part in all of this." Katie turned to Bruce who stood staring at her with a look she recognized as guilt. She dropped her eyes to the folder in her hand before flipping it open and seeing the one thing in this world she'd never thought she'd see.

"Special Agent Jacob Robins." Amanda stated proudly and Katie looked over to her. " One of our senior agents. He was the best at what he did. But he got older and wanted a less hands on mission. So his new mission was to clean up the city from people like Malcolm Merlyn, but in the case that his life ended before his mission was complete he created a fail safe."

"Are you saying my father is the one who had me kidnapped? That he handed me over to you and then to Ra's Al Ghul?" Katie took a step toward the woman and tossed the file to the table. "I'm sorry, it's just Ra's is not the type to coordinate missions with government officials."

"Ra's involvement was totally an agreement between him and your father." Bruce spoke and Katie turned to him. "We're still not sure of the details of the relationship, but your father was not someone who was asked many questions."

"Did you know about this when we were there?" Katie asked angrily taking a step toward the man, but stopping. "After I-" she dropped her head as the memories of all the terrible things she'd done flooded her.

"You have to trust me when I say the purpose of all of this wasn't to hurt you." Bruce said and Katie looked at him with wide eyes at his audacity to say that to her. "Your father trusted no one as much as he trusted you and he wanted to make sure that in the event something happened to him that you would be able to take care of yourself. The same with Oliver."

"Oliver?" Katie shook her head still trying to understand something that makes no sense at all. "I don't-" she turned back to Waller who stood, with a blank look on her face as if bored with this entire exchange. "What does Oliver have to do with this?"

"When Jacob arrived in this city his mission was to protect it from the things people couldn't see. He became friends with the movers and shakers, that's how he got in. He became aware of Malcolm's plans and those involved and most of that information was gathered from the one man he wholeheartedly believed was good."

"Robert?" Katie asked and Waller nodded.

"He was your father's inside man so to speak, and he was also able to convince your father that Oliver could help as well."

"My kidnapping, Oliver ending up on that island, it was all one big orchestration?" Katie asked, but at this point she didn't need them to say anything, she didn't want them to say anything because the answer to that question scared her to death.

"Your father believed you could be the one who finishes his mission." Waller replied turning to look out the window at the city that shined bright even in it's destruction. "Darkness still reigns in Starling. Malcolm Merlyn was just the beginning." the woman looked over her shoulder to Katie who looks on in mild stage of shock. "If you choose to accept this, then your fight's just beginning."

_**THE END** _


End file.
